Patient choice
NHS CHOICES - YOUR HEALTH, YOUR CHOICES
“From this month - April 2008 - there will be a dramatic expansion of patient choice in the NHS.
Surveys have consistently shown that patients want choice. The 2005 British Social Attitudes survey revealed that 65% of patients said they wanted choice of treatment, 63% wanted a choice of hospital and 53% welcomed a choice of appointment time.
The introduction of free choice this month means that patients referred to see a specialist will themselves be able to choose where they are treated from any hospital that meets NHS standards.
The list includes many private hospitals as well as all NHS providers. Between them offer everything from treatment to your cataracts to open-heart surgery.
Under the move to free choice, if you and your GP decide that you need to see a specialist, you’ll be able to choose the hospital that best suits your needs.
Perhaps you will want to go somewhere away from home but close to your family? Perhaps good parking facilities are vital for you? Waiting lists, cleanliness, reputation … they can all be factored into your thinking. The point is that the choice is now yours.”
“When the NHS was first founded, choices were limited, but in recent years, choice has become a key feature in the provision of health care services. Here we chart the evolution of patient choice and look at the milestones and policies that have firmly placed it at the heart of the healthcare today… “
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH POLICY AND GUIDANCE ON PATIENT CHOICE
“Policy and guidance on improving patient choice including how, when and where they receive treatment and giving the public a bigger hand in shaping local care systems.”
April 4, 2008 at 9:03 am
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