Patients needing elective treatment like a hip replacement can already choose from four local hospitals, 34 foundation trusts and 15 independent sector providers. However, by this summer there will be a choice of over 200 hospitals and treatment centers. By the end of 2008, patients will be able to choose from any hospital which meets National Health Service (NHS) standards and costs.
To aid in such decision making, Hewitt also announced a new Web site that will bring together information on all hospitals and treatment centers to empower patients to make more informed choices than ever before on their healthcare. The new Choice Web site will allow members of the public and clinicians to access a range of information through one super site that will act as a one-stop gateway to navigate NHS services.
"Genuinely empowering people to exercise choice is essential to creating an even better, more responsive NHS. Our aim is to provide a simple world class public information resource that any patient can access to make a more informed choice about their health care," said Hewitt.
The Web site is expected to be up and running this summer and will help people assess their own health risks, enable them to join discussion groups with people with the same condition and tell them what services are where and how to access them. It will also provide comparative information on dentists and GPs and allow people to see what patient survey and quality data we have collected locally.
In addition, the site will also link to other relevant sources of information, such as NHS Direct online, on conditions and treatments. "By 2008, patients will have the choice to be treated at any hospital in the country which meets NHS standards at NHS cost," said Hewitt.
