Did you know……

            Once you have agreed with your GP that you need to be referred to a hospital that you can choose which hospital you go to. We call this “It’s your Choice!”

Since April 2008, if you’re a patient in the NHS Suffolk region, who is referred to hospital by their GP for their first outpatient appointment, you have been able to choose to go to a hospital anywhere in England. You’ll still be able to go to your local hospital as before, in addition to choosing from any hospital where your care is funded by the NHS in England.
This includes NHS hospitals and many independent (private) hospitals.

Your Choice! will mean you can be referred locally or throughout England – which will allow patients to make a decision on what suits them and their personal circumstances, giving them greater convenience and piece of mind.

Facts about choice
Patients have told us they want more hospitals to choose from and more appointment dates and times too. Patients have also told us the key factors which would influence their choice of hospital. This includes:

• their own personal experience of a particular hospital
• waiting times
• the location whether its easy to get to or close to work, family and/or friends
• reputation
• the hygiene standards and low MRSA infection rates
• good parking and disabled facilities
• where quality of care has been rated highly.

Choices made easier

Making a choice has been made easy for patients. They can access clear, accurate and independent information from a number of sources. Patients will be able to:

• ▪Ask their GP who will guide them, or one of the practice staff at their local GP surgery to help provide them with information about the options available locally or elsewhere in England
• Compare information about hospitals on the NHS Choices website at www.nhs.uk
  
  
• Speak to an adviser (once their GP has suggested a referral to see a specialist) by calling 08456 088 888 free of charge.
  
  
• Visit their local library which will have information. Some libraries will also have staff that have been trained to help people access the information they need.
  
  
• Speak to an advisor in the Patient Advice and Liaison Service.

How it works

• You visit your GP
• Your GP decides that  you need to see a specialist in a hospital or clinic
• Your GP can offer a list of available hospitals in England offering NHS treatment. He or she can refer you through an electronic booking system to book an appointment for you at a time and place convenient to you, while you are in the surgery, or by giving you an appointment request form with a list of choices to go home and book via The Appointments Line or by using the internet.
• You may decide you would like more time to choose.
• You may wish to do more research or consult with friends of family for example. To assist you further with this, you could consult the NHS Choices website at www.nhs.uk.
• Once you have decided which hospital is right for you, call the Appointment Line on 08456 088 888 which can offer more information and can book the appointment for you.

Exceptions

A choice of hospital may not be appropriate for all services. The services that will not be required to offer a choice of hospital are:

• ▪Services where speed of access to diagnosis and treatment are particularly important
• ▪Emergency attendances/admissions
• ▪Patients attending a Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic under the 2 week maximum waiting time
• ▪Patients attending cancer services under the 2 week maximum waiting time.
• ▪Maternity services
• ▪Mental Health services

 

Contacts

For more information about the Choices service, please contact Dean Onno, Senior  Performance Manager tel: 01473 770000 or by e-mail to dean.onno@suffolkpct.nhs.uk