MISSED GP appointments at Stourport Medical Centre could have cost the NHS thousands of pounds last month.
The latest data from Wyre Forest Health Partnership, which runs the medical centre, revealed that 54 people booked appointments in April 2026 but did not attend.
The data also reveals that 122 nurse appointments booked at Stourport Medical Centre were missed last month.
According to government data, a missed GP appointment costs up to £50.
It is also estimated that a 15-minute nurse appointment in the UK costs £12.
Based on these figures, missed GP and nurse appointments at Stourport Medical Centre could have cost the NHS up to £4,164 in April.
However, these are still below the monthly average for Stourport Medical Centre in 2025, which saw roughly 81 GP appointments missed per month, as well as 128 nurse appointments.
A spokesperson for Wyre Forest Health Partnership, which operates the five medical centres in the area, said: “General practice is under enormous pressure, and demand for appointments has never been higher.
“Every missed appointment is a missed opportunity for another patient who may be unwell, worried, or in urgent need of care.
“These wasted appointments have a significant impact on our ability to provide timely access for those who need us most.
“We fully understand that plans can change, or you may feel better, but we strongly encourage patients to let us know if they are unable to attend an appointment.
“Cancelling is quick and easy and allows us to offer that appointment to someone else.
“Appointments can easily be cancelled by calling the Practice, there is a dedicated option on the phone line, replying to the reminder text message you receive before your appointment, or by using our online triage system to send an administrative message.
“We ask our patients to please remember the real impact missed appointments have on your GP service and your community.
“By cancelling appointments you no longer need, you are helping us to care for those who do.”
The latest figures released by Stourport Medical Centre showed they handled 1,825 GP appointments last month, as well as 1,527 GP telephone calls.
There were also 5,492 nurse appointments at the medical centre, as well as 883 nurse telephone calls.
