Choose and Book

Choose and Book is the new electronic booking service that allows you to book the time and date of your first outpatient appointment.

The new Choose and Book service is all about providing a better experience for the patient, designed so that patients will be able to fit their hospital appointment in with their life, not the other way round.

There are a number of ways you can choose your hospital and book your appointment when your GP has decided to refer you.

Choice can be made either electronically, using (IBS) or (DBS), both known as Choose and Book.

Indirectly Bookable Services  (IBS)

Patients who are offered choice using IBS are provided with a unique reference number and a shortlist of clinically appropriate hospital providers by their GP (unless the patient specifically requests their local hospital).

The patient is also given the telephone number of NHS Direct who can provide them with details such as waiting times, car parking facilities, MRSA results and other information, thus enabling them to make an informed choice about where they wish to be treated. Once the patient has chosen a hospital they ring and book their appointment at a time to suit them.

The majority of Trust specialties are available for GP’s using IBS, with the exceptions such as cancer services and rapid access chest pain clinic, which will follow in the future.

Direct Bookable Services (DBS)

DBS allow patients to view their hospital choices and book their first outpatient appointment electronically at the point of referral, whilst they are sat with their GP.

Manual bookings

Some GPs cannot offer Choice using the electronic versions of IBS or DBS and therefore they offer choice manually. They use a matrix to show the patient their choice of hospitals and then send the referral to the hospital in the post. The hospital then contacts the patient to make the appointment.

In addition every patient is given the ‘Choosing your hospital’ leaflet to help them with their choice.

Patients and staff can find out more about choose and book by visiting: www.chooseandbook.nhs.uk. Alternatively, patients can find additional information and compare hospital services throughout England by going to www.nhs.uk.