Mater Dei Hospital has introduced a system of SMS reminders for people having an outpatients' appointment.

The purpose is to cut down on missed visits, Health Minister Chris Fearne said this morning. 

He explained that a third of missed calls were the result of patients forgetting their appointment.

Reminders are now being sent 10 days before the appointment and another two days before.

Mr Fearne said this would hopefully cut down the missed visits, which contributed to long waiting lists in certain outpatient clinics.

He said the next step would be to allow patients the possibility to confirm or drop an appointment by SMS. 

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