Choose and book
What is Choose and Book?
Choose and Book is a service that
lets you choose your hospital or clinic and book
your first appointment.
When you and your GP agree that you need an
appointment, you can choose which hospital or
clinic you go to. You will also be able to
choose the date and time of your appointment.
What does Choose and Book mean for me?
As well as giving you a choice of hospital,
date and time for your appointment, Choose and
Book will also give you the ability to:
- plan and manage your appointments around any
existing appointments, if you are currently
undergoing treatment;
- fit your treatment in with your other
commitments, at home and at work;
- choose appointments that fit with your carer's
schedule; and
- check the status of your referral and change or
cancel your appointments easily over the phone
or on the internet.
How does Choose and Book work?
When you and your GP agree that you need an
appointment with a specialist, Choose and Book
shows your GP which hospitals or clinics are
available for your treatment. Your GP discusses
with you the clinically appropriate options that
are available for treating your medical
condition.
If you know where and when you would like to be
seen, you may be able to book your appointment
before you leave the practice. You will be given
confirmation of the place, date and time of your
appointment.
You may want more time to consider your
choices. If so, you can take the Appointment
Request letter away with you and book your
appointment later. Your Appointment
Request letter lists your unique booking
reference number, your
NHS
number and a list of hospital or clinic
options for you to choose from. Your GP practice
will also give you a password with your
Appointment Request letter.
You can then decide how you wish to book your
appointment; via the telephone, using the
national number on the letter or via the
internet. Please note that whilst the vast
majority of appointments can be booked this way,
in some cases you will need to telephone your
chosen hospital directly to make your
appointment. This is because the hospital
appointments system does not link to Choose and
Book.
Can I book all my appointments through Choose
and Book?
When you and your GP agree that you need an
appointment with a specialist, you can book your
first hospital or clinic appointment using
Choose and Book. Any follow up appointments, are
arranged by the hospital themselves.
The benefits of Choose and Book:
- You can choose any hospital in England funded by
the NHS (this includes NHS hospitals and some
independent hospitals). More information
about hospitals is available on the NHS website;
- You can choose the date and time of your
appointment;
- You experience greater convenience and
certainty. With Choose and Book, the choice is
yours; and
- There is a reduced risk that correspondence gets
lost in the post as most of the communication is
done via computers.
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