London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025

Rishi Sunak backtracks on £10 missed NHS appointment fines

Rishi Sunak backtracks on £10 missed NHS appointment fines

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has scrapped a Tory leadership campaign pledge he made to fine patients in England £10 if they miss GP or hospital appointments.

He made the pledge during this summer's leadership contest against Liz Truss.

Mr Sunak had argued it was "not right" some patients were failing to turn up, taking slots from those in need.

But a No 10 spokeswoman said that, after "listening to GPs", the government decided it was "not the right time" for the policy.

She added that Mr Sunak wanted to deliver "a stronger NHS and the sentiment remains that people should not be missing their appointments and taking up NHS time".

Critics of the proposal included doctors' union the British Medical Association (BMA), which said it would "make matters worse" and threaten the NHS's principle of free care at the point of need.

The BMA welcomed the decision to scrap the plan and said it "cannot be brought back to the table later down the line".

It said "punishing" patients was not the answer to the many reasons people miss appointments, and the policy would "only deter the most vulnerable from seeking the help they need, worsen health inequalities, and ultimately undermine the essential trust between doctor and patient".

Instead, the BMA said the government must work to improve pay and other conditions to ensure the NHS has safe levels of staff.

Reflecting a similar view, the Royal College of GPs said the plans would have disadvantaged some of the NHS's most vulnerable patients.

Chairman of the college Prof Martin Marshall said the move would "simply have been tinkering at the edges given the scale of the crisis facing GPs and our teams".

Outlining the policy in July, Mr Sunak said patients would be given the "benefit of the doubt" the first time they missed an appointment without providing sufficient notice, but further absences would incur a £10 charge.

Fines would also be waived in exceptional circumstances, such as if a patient had an emergency.

He explained the system would be "temporary" as backlogs caused by the pandemic were cleared.

But he gave few details of the how the system would work, writing in the Sunday Telegraph: "If we have people who are now showing up and taking those slots away from people who need [them], that's not right.

"I'm all for a healthcare system that's free at the point of use, but not one that's free at the point of misuse."

Asked if other pledges on the NHS made during the summer leadership campaign still stood, she said Mr Sunak's "initial ideas" over summer would be discussed with cabinet ministers and any announcements would be "set out in due course".

Mr Sunak had also pledged to eliminate one-year waiting times by September 2024, and get the number of people waiting for non-urgent treatment in England falling by next year.

He pledged to do this by boosting the number of "diagnostic hubs" outside hospitals, including by repurposing empty High Street shops. He also pledged to reform dentists' NHS contract, and ring fence the annual £3bn NHS dentistry budget.

The decision came as Mr Sunak met patients and staff at Croydon University Hospital in his first visit as prime minister.

A patient was filmed telling the prime minister he needed to "try harder" to pay NHS staff more.

Mr Sunak replied "he would take that away" following the exchange.

During the summer the Conservative Party membership chose Ms Truss over Mr Sunak, but this week he succeeded her by winning enough nominations from Tory MPs on Monday following her resignation.


WATCH: Catherine Poole, aged 77, tells Rishi Sunak NHS staff should be paid more


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
×