High no-show rate reported in Health South-East hospitals affecting patient treatment in Norway

In the first half of this year, 111,000 patients failed to attend their scheduled appointments at hospitals within the Health South-East region of Norway. This absenteeism represents approximately 4% of all patients in 2023 who did not show up for their appointments in Akershus, Oslo, Innlandet, Buskerud, Vestfold, Østfold, Telemark, and Agder. The region has reported nearly 2.9 million consultations during the same period.

Director Terje Rootwelt from Health South-East RHF remarked that the high no-show rate prevents hospitals from treating more patients. He emphasized the importance of patient attendance in reducing wait times, stating that if the no-show rate decreased from 3.9% to 3.6%, it could translate to around 17,000 additional treated patients annually, thereby significantly alleviating waiting lists.

Despite the challenges, the rate of patients not attending appointments has declined over recent years. In the first half of 2023, the absentee rate was 4.1%, down from 4.3% in 2022, indicating improved awareness among patients about the importance of attending their appointments. Hospitals have also initiated reminder systems to help patients remember their scheduled times.

Rootwelt acknowledged that circumstances may arise where patients cannot attend their appointments but urged individuals to notify the hospitals as early as possible. Doing so allows for other patients to fill those slots, helping optimize hospital resource usage. In the first half of 2024, Vestre Viken health organization had 414,192 consultations, with 17,923 missed appointments. Vestre Viken HF operates within the Health South-East region, comprising several local hospitals.