MISSED appointments at surgeries in Basingstoke are on the rise, with some reporting sharp increases of up to 20 per cent in the last year alone.

To combat this alarming trend across the borough, The Gazette this week launches its new campaign ‘Turn Up or Tell ‘Em’– urging patients to cancel their appointments if unable to attend them.

This newspaper has contacted surgeries and practices throughout Basingstoke and found thousands of appointments are being missed each year in the town, wasting weeks of GP and nurse time.

At Chineham Medical Practice, missed appointments have shot up by over 20 per cent in just 12 months, with 2,362 missed and not cancelled by patients during 2016, compared to 1,964 in 2015.

Other practices reporting an increase included Camrose Medical Partnership, which stated an increase of six per cent on missed appointments.

However, according to practice manager Amy Taplin the figures “under-represented the problem”.

Alex Woodroffe, practice manager at Gillies Health Centre, in Brighton Hill, said nearly 6,000 appointments had been missed during 2016 - which resulted in almost 1,000 hours of wasted GP and nurse time throughout the year.

Mr Woodroffe said: “Did Not Attend (DNA)s are so frustrating given the level of demand and pressure on General Practice, a situation that is being made even more tricky by a national shortage in GPs. 

“We serve 20,000 patients, predominantly in the Brighton Hill area.”

He added: “In 2016, Gillies had 5,932 appointments where people did not turn up.”

Hundreds of readers told The Gazette of the issues experienced on waiting times to see their GP, nurse or health care assistant, with many waiting a month or more to see them.

Shell Bowler wrote: “I can’t get an appointment with my doctor. The receptionist tells me on the phone that my doctor isn’t available for a month.

“I’m recovering from a ministroke and need regular checkups. I’ve given up ringing them now.”

Katryna Woolford tried to get her five-year-old son an emergency appointment at her surgery but they said it would take “four weeks”.

What do you think? Email your views to newsdesk@basingstokegazette.co.uk.