Appointments missed when clocks change

Monday March 26th, 2018

The number of missed hospital outpatient appointments is set to rise this week because of the weekend switch to British Summer Time, according to a new analysis.

A study by researchers at the University of Lancaster and University of York found that patients are 5% more likely to miss an appointment in the week after the clocks go forward compared with the previous week.

Data from the NHS revealed that in 2016/17, there were eight million missed appointments, each of which costs £120.

The study analysed more than two million appointments in Scotland from 2005 to 2010 before, during and after the spring and autumn clock changes.

Lead author Dr David Ellis said: “More people missed their appointments after the clocks moved forward in spring. Fewer people missed them after the clocks moved back again in the autumn.”

He suggested that the missed appointments following the spring clock change might be due to people losing an hour of sleep and having worse sleep quality. The effect wears off after a week.

“Missed appointments represent a significant financial issue for healthcare systems and have an adverse impact on patient care,” added Dr Ellis.

Dr Luther said that potential solutions include sending additional reminders to patients as the spring clock change approaches - or scheduling more appointments in the week prior to the spring clock change.

Ellis D, Luther K, Jenkins R. Missed appointments during shifts to and from daylight saving time. Chronobiology International. December 2017.

Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2017.1417313

Tags: General Health | NHS | UK News

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