Whittington Health NHS Trust has made the appeal after 63,983 appointments were missed in the 2024-25 financial year, with patients failing to turn up or cancel in advance.
Each missed appointment costs the trust around £130, adding up to the salaries of more than 200 newly-registered nurses.
Chinyama Okunuga, chief operating officer at Whittington Health NHS Trust, said: “We know that modern life is hectic, and that there are lots of bugs around this time of year that might make you too ill to come for a scan.
“If you can call us more than 24 hours in advance, we can ‘pass it on’ and offer your appointment to one of your neighbours.”
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Missed appointments were due to patients not attending or not being brought in by a parent or carer, with no advance notice given.
Without a cancellation, the trust cannot reallocate the slot to someone else who may be waiting.
Whittington Health said every appointment letter includes a phone number to call if patients need to cancel.
