Two days before an appointment at the Homerton Hospital's Department of Sexual Health, in London, patients will be sent a message reminding them to attend.

General manager Dipak Duggal, who came up with the idea, said this was the first scheme of its kind in the country.

He said about 4 out of every ten patients booked to attend the department were failing to turn up and that this was wasting resources and time.

No hospital can afford to be without it

Dipak Duggal

He said that many of the clients were young and that Hackney, where the hospital is based, had a larger than average mobile phone ownership.

"Patients are booked into the clinic but up to 40% of them do not attend routinely.

"This results in wasted resources and lengthens the waiting time."

The message on the phone will be very bland, simply reminding the patient that they have an appointment at the hospital, but without specifying which department.

The idea is the brain child of Dipak Duggal

The trial is expected to last three months and if it reduces the number of "do not attends" it will be extended to other departments.

Trial

Mr Duggal said that he had already received a number of enquiries from other hospitals who were keen to use the scheme.

"There is a lot of interest from other hospitals. We have already had about six or seven ringing us to find out about it.

"I believe this will become a routine part of hospital life in the next 12 months, as no hospital can afford to be without it, because this is a national problem.

"Homerton prides itself upon its innovation and this is another fine example of this."