Sir, I write from a district general hospital, reflecting on the rise in patients failing to attend appointments. Could it be that with increased awareness of COVID-19, patients have again become fearful of the risks associated with attending hospitals?
Where does the line get drawn between what can wait and what is necessary? Can a symptomatic tooth be left untreated until a severe abscess or swelling develops, requiring hospital admission? Can a two-week wait appointment go missed and a lesion only be investigated at the point it is more advanced and complex to treat? As clinicians it is far simpler to answer these questions, but we cannot expect the same difficult decisions to be made by our patients who are looking to us for advice in these times.
Recently, when questioning a patient presenting with a carcinoma of the lip on why they left this un-investigated for many months, the response we have become accustomed to hearing was given, 'COVID'. We want to encourage patients to feel comfortable attending their appointments, but how do we do this in a way that doesn't disregard the rising number of cases? What we can do is offer clear advice to our patients about precautions being implemented in healthcare settings, and what the patient themselves can do before the appointment.1 With the majority of complaints stemming from poor communication, it is important that the message we send to patients is clear, informative and consistent, and one that does not instil fear but instead inspires confidence.2
References
- 1.Giles C. Ceinwen Giles: Is it safe to go to hospital or visit my GP—patients want to know. 18 September 2020. Available at: https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/09/18/ceinwen-giles-is-it-safe-to-go-to-hospital-or-visit-my-gp-patients-want-to-know/ (accessed November 2020).
- 2.Abdelrahman W, Abdelmageed A. Understanding patient complaints. BMJ 2017; 356: DOI: 10.1136/bmj.j452. [DOI]