Lewis Foster

A Lincoln village GP launched a new service in a bid to minimise the number of missed appointments.

Trent Valley Surgery in Saxilby introduced the new text message service which allows patients to cancel unwanted or unneeded GP appointments simply by texting the word “CANCEL” to the dedicated number.

It comes after the NHS Lincolnshire West CCG claimed missed appointments cost the region’s health services almost £1.5 million.

Lucy Holland-Hancock, IT & Data at Trent Valley Surgery, said: “This system means we can contact patients immediately without having to use up staff time making phone calls or writing letters.

“The patient can actually respond to use purely by using their mobile phone which for many makes things easier.

“The text messaging system means even if it is the day before a patient’s appointment, they can easily and quickly cancel it without having to try and call the practice at 8am that morning.

“Our system is designed to automatically detected these cancellations, enabling them to be offered to other patients.

“Patients are responding well to the new system and are already using it. In June we have had about 20 people responding to cancel an appointment.”

Over the past three months, Trent Valley Surgery saw 139 appointments missed by patients.

Trent Valley Surgery in Saxilby. Photo: Google Street View

Practice manager Paula Bacon said: “Our figures show that the highest number of DNAs (did not attends) are for the nursing team, which is likely because a patient can book three months in advance for a nurse.

“Although the average DNA rate is fairly small at this practice, it still has a knock-on effect for the availability of our appointments.

“This new system will give patients the opportunity to cancel their appointments easily, especially those who may be at work.

A Yorkshire Terrier has had a lucky escape after it was left in a hot car outside Tritton Retail Park’s Pets at Home on Tuesday.

The pooch had been left in direct midday sunlight with just one window slightly open; a potentially lethal situation for a dog.

Luckily, a concerned shopper was passing when they noticed the animal in a distressed state. They called police at around 11.20am and an officer attended shortly after.

The shopper claimed when she spoke to The Lincolnite the dog had been left for 25 minutes.

In the meantime, they said, the owner returned and let the dog out of the car. Officers arrived and the terrier was checked by the instore vet.

Police said the dog’s temperature was 39.4°C – the average for a dog is 38.5°C. Brain damage can happen in dogs at 41°C, and the upper limit for lethal temperatures is 42°C.

An RSPCA infographic warns about the dangers of heatstroke in dogs. Photo RSPCA

On this occasion there were no lasting effects on the dog but Lincolnshire Police are taking the opportunity to warn what could have happened.

“Dogs can die in hot cars, even if they are left for just a few minutes,” said a Lincolnshire Police spokesperson: “If you have concerns about a dog in a hot car, call us on 101.

“If the dog is in particular distress and it is an emergency call 999.  Do not to attempt to force entry to the vehicle yourself.”