NHS Tayside’s efforts to reform could be hindered by waste unless patients and the public help it cut costs.
Missed appointments blight the NHS nationally and cost the service an average of £19 million each year.
The staggering figure reflects those missed in hospital and community settings, with allied health professionals and with mental health teams.
One of the key methods being used to tackle the problems is the Value Your NHS campaign, which supports the redesign of the health services.
It aims to educate the public and NHS staff about the challenges and the work being undertaken, but also asks them to play their own role.
On average, there are 5,321 outpatient appointments across the region every day, with 605 of those marked as “did not attend”.
Each outpatient appointment costs an average of £124.
NHS Tayside chairman Professor John Connell said: “Do-not-attend rates remain a problem right across NHS Tayside.
“They can be disruptive and we need the public to understand that each missed appointment has a financial cost.”
Prof Connell said the board was “looking for solutions” such as the text message reminders many people are used to receiving from dentists.
Consideration has been given by the NHS nationally and the Scottish Government to the use of penalties.
It is felt, however, that could adversely impact upon the most vulnerable patients, with mental health appointments among those most commonly missed.
