GPs across Norwich have joined forces to issue fresh advice to patients to help avoid wasted appointments.

Patients failed to attend almost 4,000 appointments at the 22 surgeries in the city during the month of August, according to new figures.

The practices have published some simple advice to people to ensure they are not wasting GPs' and nurses' time.

They are requesting patients to tell their GP practice if they do not need an appointment and to think about using a pharmacy or the 111 service.

Samita Mukhopadhyay, from Taverham Surgery, said: 'We are committed to looking after all our patients and view the doctor, patient relationship very much as a partnership in an individual's healthcare. By following these simple requests patients will be playing their part in this partnership and will help protect GP services for those most in need'.

The 22 GP practices in Norwich look after 213,834 patients and in August provided 68,482 patient appointments and issued 110,591 prescriptions.

Chris Price, chairman of Norwich Clinical Commissioning Group, said: 'These figures really speak for themselves about the massive workload which our local GP Practices face every month.

'Everyone knows that sometimes you have to wait for an appointment unless it's a genuine emergency, so the more we do to help Practices see more patients, the better it is for all of us.'