Dental Patients To Be Fined For Skipping Appointments

Thu, 16 Jul 2009

Patients who fail to turn up to dental appointments at four NHS practises in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, face a £1-a-minute fine.

Integrated Dental Holdings, which operates the Scottish clinics, has been given the green light to hand out a fine of £1 for every minute a patient misses of their scheduled appointment.

The move was approved by health officials at a board meeting on Monday after figures revealed that almost 3,000 patients failed to show for a dentist appointment during a six-month period, costing the NHS £54,890.

Charges for missed dental appointments have been proposed by both the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats.

Earlier this year, the Tories published plans to introduce patient fines in England in its proposals to shake-up NHS dentistry, while the Lib Dems announced last autumn that they would consider slapping a £10 penalty charge on patients who waste their dentist’s time.

Norman Lamb, the party's shadow health secretary, said that the constant failure to attend appointments by a small percentage of people was a form of ‘irresponsible behaviour that needs tackling' in the health service .
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