NHS Choices How can patients make their appointment via Choose & Book?
• Book their appointment with their GP or the reception staff. • Phone the Choose & Book appointments Line. • Visit the Choose & Bookwebsite Choose & Book appointments line: 0845 608 8888 Back to top> Choose & Book Isn’t choice just about reducing waiting times? The aim of choice is to give patients real choice and involvement, as active partners, in decisions about their treatment. Their decision will often include the factor of how long waiting lists are, as well as ease of access. Choice will give hospitals an incentive to keep waiting lists as low as possible. Why does the NHS need to rely on private hospitals for treating patients? A patient may in certain circumstances be able to choose to go to a private hospital for treatment. Although the NHS is expanding, it cannot increase its capacity quickly enough. To ensure patients get faster access to treatment, the extra capacity in the independent sector is sometimes used. Whenever patients are treated in the independent sector, they
