Patient Choice Schemes

(asked on 2nd February 2024) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the guidance entitled Elective recovery taskforce: implementation plan, published on 4 August 2023, what the baseline position is for how many patients are accessing choice.


Answered by
Andrew Stephenson Portrait
Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 8th February 2024

Last year, the Government set out how it will make it easier for patients to exercise their choice by improving the NHS App, increasing choice for patients already on waiting lists, and raising awareness of patients’ right to choose.

At the point of referral, for example at a general practice (GP) appointment, patients will be actively offered a list of providers which are clinically appropriate for their condition. This will be a minimum of five providers where possible. Patients will also be informed of their right to choose and encouraged to raise this at the time of the referral.

Since the commitments made by the Government in May 2023, we have seen an increase in the number of patients being offered choice at the point of referral. The Department does not hold data regarding patients choosing between a hospital and clinic for their first outpatient appointment each month. The Department has also not made an estimate of how many patients were aware, before visiting their GP, of their right to choose the provider for their first outpatient appointment.

In autumn last year, the Department ran a press partnership campaign to raise awareness and increase understanding of choice. Furthermore, the Department has recently launched a marketing campaign, aimed at all adults, to increase awareness of a patient's right to choose where they receive their hospital care, as well as encourage more people to actively make a choice.

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