Patient choice
You now have the right to choose where and when you have most hospital treatment.
If your GP decides you need to go into hospital to see a specialist you can now choose, with the help of your doctor, from at least four hospitals. This is what patient choice is about – letting you make decisions about your healthcare. If you don’t want to make a choice and would prefer to go to the hospital you normally go to, that’s fine too. Your shortlist of hospitals will depend on the type of specialist you need to see, but there is a choice for most medical conditions. The NHS provides you with information on the hospitals on your list to help you decide. If your GP thinks you have a medical need for transport to get to your chosen hospital, it should be provided for you.
If you receive Jobseeker’s Allowance, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit or Pension Credit, you may have your travel expenses paid through the hospital travel costs scheme.
For most specialties you can book your hospital appointment using an electronic booking service called choose and book. Your GP will give you a booking reference number and you can look up the hospitals and appointment times that suit you best. Ask at your GP practice for more information about this system.
Further information
You can get more information about patient choice using the following links:
Your GP practice should also have information booklets about patient choice and how to choose your hospital.
