Choice & Choose and book

From April 2008, all patients registered with an English GP will have the right to choose from any NHS funded provider following a referral to a hospital Consultant. The only exceptions will be cases requiring speed of access, such as suspected cancer and chest pains, in addition to maternity and mental health services.
Choose and Book

What is choose and book?

Choose and Book is an electronic service that allows you to choose your hospital or clinic and book an appointment.

When you and your GP agree that you need an appointment, you can choose which hospital or clinic you wish to attend. The system will allow you to choose the date and time of your appointment.

Choose and Book provides you with the following benefits:

Choose any hospital in England funded by the NHS (this includes NHS hospitals and some independent hospitals)
You can choose the date and time of your appointment
You can experience greater convenience and certainty. The Choice is yours with Choose and Book.

There is less chance that information will get lost in the post because more correspondence takes place through computer.

How does Choose and Book work?

When you and your GP agree that you need an appointment with a specialist, Choose and Book shows your GP which hospitals or clinics are available for your treatment. Your GP discusses with you the clinically appropriate options that are available for treating your medical condition.

If you know where and when you would like to be seen, you may be able to book your appointment before you leave the surgery, and you will be given confirmation of the place, date and time of your appointment.

GP practices work differently, they may print off an appointment request listing the choices that are available to you, and ask you to contact the National Appointments Line, who will discuss the choices available and book the appointment.

You may want more time to consider your choices. If so you can take the appointment request letter away with you and book your appointment later at a convenient time that suits you.

In some cases you will need to telephone your chosen hospital directly to make your appointment. This is because the hospital computer does not link to Choose and Book. This will change over time as the old hospital computers are being replaced with new ones.

Patients can also book their appointment online via the Internet by accessing www.healthspace.nhs.uk