What do you think of NHS choose and book?

Question

It is a new system where if a GP decides his patient needs more specialist service will reffer them to a hospital to have an outpatient appointment with a consultant and will give the patient a letter to call the appt line to book using their refference number and password.

if you were referred to say 3 hospitals who are not currantly running the service then they would be taking the bookings through themselves where is there would be a direct booking telephone number which would put you through to the hospital.

Answer 1

So far I have to say I am not impressed. I was referred for physio in July and I was sent a letter, with a password, saying that I had to ring a local clinic to make an appointment. When I rang I found that I had no choice in where I was referred and that I would recieve an appointment when they decided if I needed seeing.

I later rang the clinic again as my condition was deteriorating and I hadn't recieved an appointment. I was then told I had been referred to a clinic and would recieve an appointment soon. I asked whch clinic I had been referred to and found out that it was at the other side of the city and I would have to take two long bus journeys to get there.

Fair enough, you may say, but I am unable to walk long distances AND I live about two miles from a hopsital which has an outpatients physio department. There is a health centre about five minutes walk from my house and another one 10 minutes away on the bus, and they choose none of these.

I was eventually told that I could choose another location but I would be placed at the bottom of the waiting list again, and would have to wait six weeks for an appointment. Two months later and I am still waiting.

So much for choose and book!

Answer 2

Personally I think that the system is extremely flawed. Doctors should two one of two things, either refer you to your local hospital which is easier for the patient to get to OR refer a patient to the best hospital that specialises in their particular problem within a certain area. Refering a patient to say three hospitals doesnt exactly allow someone to know where the best area for them. And if none of those hospitals are even running the scheme well nothing will get done any faster than if the GP booked for you.

This can also lead however to overbooking in outpatients departments that are running the scheme because people will of course always be booking their appointments there. This then will also lead to overworking the staff that are probably already over worked.

In conclusion book and choose may not work unless all hospitals use them and all hospitals will have to state more obviously what their best departments are to allow patients to be able to know where the best place of care is for them.

Answer 3

I chosen my close by clinical institution throughout the time of my first appointment with my midwife yet she informed me that i visit replace my clinical institution correct up till the day I provide start. you are able to %. your favourite clinical institution whenever you want and then replace it whenever you want, yet you should keep in mind that in case you go into labour and they don't have any beds accessible, you'd be requested to visit a distinct clinical institution on your start which makes all this aggravating and planning redundant! My sister in regulation became booked in at our close by clinical institution or perhaps as she referred to as to assert she became on her way they suggested they were finished and despatched her 10 miles away - by technique of this aspect she did not care because the contractions were coming quick and powerful. %. the clinical institution that you imagine you may want to be the most gentle at, ask for a excursion of each and every maternity ward and be conscious in case you're able to have a communicate with the midwives who artwork there and then evaluate the very actuality, once you go into labour, would an more effective 30 minutes be too a lot or might want to you deal with it? - this would help you're making a decision. good luck and congratulations xxx

Answer 4

I think it will work but it will have some teething problems. What concerns me is the well known hospitals, everyone will choose to be treated there? I know it is all part of the 18week target form first appointment to surgery/treatment date.

Answer 5

but what happens if like me you are given 3 hospitals which are not yet running the service??

Answer 6

sounds more of less like we do now

Answer 7

not noticed any difference