A HOSPITAL trust is estimated to have lost millions of pounds due to thousands of missed appointments through the pandemic, figures show.

More than £5 million is calculated to have been wasted due to the missed appointments at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust.

NHS Digital data shows that in the 11 months from April last year, there were 32,295 outpatient appointments which people did not show up for.

It means out of 514,955 booked sessions, 6% were unattended.

And with the average outpatient appointment costing £160 – as estimated by several NHS trusts – the no-shows may have cost Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust around £5.2 million.

Across England's health providers, 5 million appointments were missed during the same period to the end of February, around 7% of those booked – wasting the NHS an estimated £760 million.

At Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust, the rate of missed hospital appointments was at its highest in August when 7% were no-shows, 3,055 in total.

The failed appointments waste time and heap pressure on consultants who already face “extraordinary demand” due to the virus, says the British Medical Association.

A spokesman from NHS England said measures were in place in hospitals to ensure patients remained safe.

He said: "People should continue to attend their medical appointments as normal - if you are unable to attend for any reason, please let us know so your appointment can be filled by another patient who may need it.”

Latest recent data from NHS England revealed a total of 4.7 million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of February 2021 – the highest figure since records began in August 2007.

More than 4,356 patients listed for elective operations or treatment at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust at the end of February had been waiting for at least a year – 11 per cent of all those on the waiting list.