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Patient Choice
Since 1 January 2006, patients who need a referral to hospital have been
able to choose from four or five hospitals.
‘Choosing your hospital’ is a leaflet for patients, which gives
information about how the process of choice and booking will work. It
also gives answers to commonly asked questions and details about the
hospitals you can choose.
The leaflet is available from the Surgery.
Choose & Book is a new service that allows you to choose your hospital
and book your first outpatient appointment with a specialist. It is
being introduced across England and will eventually be available to all
patients.
Choose & Book has been available in some parts of Suffolk since early
November 2005 and it is now available at Shotley Surgery. Unfortunately
it cannot be used at Holbrook yet for technical reasons.
Benefits
of Choose & Book
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You can normally choose from at
least four hospitals. |
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You can also choose the date
and time for your appointment. |
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You experience greater
convenience and certainty. With the old system, your
hospital or clinic chose the date and time of your
appointment which may not have been convenient for you.
With Choose & Book, the choice is yours. |
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There is less chance
that information will get lost in the post. |
How does Choose & Book work?
At Shotley when you and your GP agree that you need an
appointment with a specialist, for most specialities the
Choose and Book system will show the doctor which
hospitals or clinics are available for your treatment.
Your GP discusses with you the appropriate options
available.
You take an appointment request letter away with you and
book your appointment later, either through a website or
by calling an 0845 number which are listed on the
request letter which also has a unique booking reference
number on it.
Although Choose & Book is not yet available at Holbrook,
patients are still offered four or five choices of
hospital or clinic. The appointment will be made in the
traditional manner however.
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