Dnt B L8 4 yr appt, texts top hospital

A hospital in London has launched a revolutionary mobile phone text messaging service to remind patients of their appointments and prevent unnecessary cancellations.

From next week, Homerton University Hospital in London will text message patients two days before their appointments to remind them to turn up. If they wish to cancel, patients are asked to call a free phone number. The Department of Health has welcomed the experiment, which they described as "modern and innovative".

Around 1.3 million appointments are missed every year, costing the NHS approximately £300m. Homerton is hopeful that, if successful, the scheme could be put into operation across the country.

The experiment will be done at the hospital's sexual health department.