A survey of the non-attendance rate at the ENT clinic of a district general hospital.

A survey of the number of patients who failed to keep outpatient appointments at the ENT clinic of a rurally situated district general hospital (Bangour General Hospital, West Lothian) was carried out. The results were compared with non-attendance rates of the general medical clinic of the same hospital and of the ENT clinic of a nearby urban hospital (the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh). A particularly high non-attendance rate was demonstrated for the ENT clinic of the district general hospital. The reasons for this are discussed in the light of currently available literature on the 'no show' patient and possible means of improving the situation are suggested.