OVER 100,000 appointments were missed by patients across South Essex last year, costing the NHS a whopping six figure sum.

A shocking amount of missed appointments has cost our health service over £2 million, and has left doctors with empty offices.

Figures from NHS data has revealed that an estimated 48,354 appointments were missed in Basildon, and an estimated 33,318 missed in Southend.

25,491 appointments were missed across Castle Point and Rochford.

This means that on average, 98 appointments were missed per day, which also leaves not enough time to invite other patients to fill the space.

A frustrated Sunil Gupta, the Chair of NHS Castle Point and Rochford, explained what patients should do if they know they can't attend their appointments. He said: "Waiting times for a GP appointment may be an issue from time to time so it is frustrating when a high number of patients are not showing up for their appointments but are not cancelling them either.

“Sometimes, patients will have a good reason for not attending their GP surgery, however I urge those who no longer need pre-booked appointments to cancel them to free them up for other patients that may have an urgent need.”

A missed appointment costs the NHS £30, and the total cost of missed appointments across South Essex could have paid the annual salary of 55 full time GP's, or 3,216 drug treatment courses for Alzheimer's.