The government is to introduce measures to empower people to choose where they receive their NHS care under new plans to help cut waiting lists, one of the Prime Minister’s top five priorities.
A letter issued by the NHS today to local areas will require patients to be offered choice on where they go for treatment using the NHS app or website when clinically appropriate.
From today, the government is expanding the way the NHS App and website is used to improve how patients choose to receive their care. After speaking with their GP, patients will be able to view information for up to five healthcare providers - filtered by distance, waiting times and quality of care.
And from October, those who have waited more than 40 weeks and not had a date confirmed for their appointment will be asked whether they want to switch hospitals to be seen more quickly, if clinically appropriate.
Currently just one in ten patients exercise their right to choose but research shows that giving patients choice can cut up to three months off their waiting time by selecting a different hospital in the same region.
The NHS App, which serves as a digital front door to the NHS, has over 32 million sign ups and receives around 75 million visits a month. Using the App, patients can already book and manage their GP appointments, order repeat prescriptions, and access hospital correspondence through the App.
Richard Fuller MP said:
The pandemic has had a huge impact on the NHS and our ability to access healthcare, which is why the Prime Minister made cutting waiting lists one of his five priorities.
With this announcement, the government is empowering patients to choose where they receive treatment as part of our plan to cut waiting lists, allowing patients to choose which hospital they are treated at through the NHS app or website, and increasing the information they have about waiting times and quality when they do so. This could wipe months off patients’ waiting time, helping to cut wait lists as we create an NHS built around patients, where everyone has more control over the care they receive.
