One in 10 health appointments were missed last year, costing the NHS millions of pounds and delaying treatment for other patients, figures have suggested.

Patients missed 5.5 million hospital appointments last year, said the Department of Health.

Although the figure is 250,000 less than the previous year, ministers are calling for hospitals to use more innovative solutions to tackle the number of people who miss appointments.

Newham University Hospital has started a pilot where diabetes patients who do not need a physical examination are seen via Skype.

A number of hospitals including King's College, London, and Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust already use a text message system to remind patients of their appointments.

Health Minister Simon Burns said: "It is important that people realise that not turning up for their agreed appointments, means other patients' care might be delayed and doctors' and nurses' time could be wasted, costing taxpayers money.

"Today we are highlighting the number of missed appointments so people can see the impact this is having on their NHS.

"Patients often have genuine reasons to miss an appointment, but it can have a big impact on the care we can offer to other patients. It is important that the public understand we have responsibilities too, like not wasting precious NHS resources.

"I'm glad to see that the NHS is increasingly using simple ideas such as texting their patients before an appointment or seeing them via Skype. These could have a dramatic impact and I want to see more hospitals making use of them."

The Press Association, photo by Carlos62