In this episode we talk to Dr Tom Margham who is a GP and Clinical Director at EQUIP (Enabling Quality Improvement in Practice) at Tower Hamlets Clinical Commissioning Group.

The title paper is: Reducing missed appointments in general practice: evaluation of a quality improvement programme in east London.

Read the paper: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp20X713909

Missed appointments (DNAs) in general practice reduce clinical capacity and waste money. Most research on reducing DNAs focus on changing patient behaviour to optimise the existing appointment system.

This study shows the impact of quality improvement coaching, including sharing appointment system data, among practices in one CCG. A case study illustrates how structural change to the appointment system can produce sustained reductions in DNA rates.