Over 1,300 patients don't show up for hospital appointments every day - costing the Health Service over 210 thousand euro daily.

New figures published in the Irish Independent show that more than one fifth of return patients fail to keep follow-up appointments in some hospitals.

It also means that others on the waiting list are losing out.

Hospitals, which are losing millions a year because of missed appointments, are to crack down on the no-shows, taking patients off wait lists if they don't have a valid excuse for failing to turn up.