Failing to attend is no excuse

Family deaths, forgetfulness and illness are the main reasons why people fail to turn up for dental appointments, according to a new survey conducted by NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale.

The trust conducted a poll with dentists in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale to find out what reasons people give for not turning up.

Reasons range from the normal ‘I forgot’ or ‘I was ill’ to the more unusual ‘my budgie died’ and ‘it was my birthday’.

“Everyday several patients just don’t turn up for an appointment. Of course there are legitimate reasons why people cannot come but we’re often faced with a range of excuses, some more creative than others,” said Dr Khalid Mushtaq from Littleborough Dental Practice.

“What we do ask is that if you can’t attend call us beforehand, possibly even the day before. This is so that we can allocate the appointment to another patient who really needs it.”

People who don’t attend their dental appointments cost NHS HMR £700,000 each year so the trust has launched a campaign to try and make people think twice before skipping a trip to the dentist. The ‘Use it, don’t lose it’ campaign plays on the fact that if you miss your appointment twice times you are taken off the list.