Introducing Choose and Book

1
Introducing Choose and Book

• The patient journey

Presented by
Date
2
The patients view

• My son always takes me to the hospital because
  otherwise I would have to catch 3 buses and wait
  in the cold. I would love to be able to ask him
  what time suits him rather than have him alter
  his work shifts to suit me as this really worries
  me.
• Female patient aged 75, from Why Older People
  Want Choice

3
What is Choose and Book?

• New name for Choice at Referral and the
  Electronic Booking Service (EBS)
• Choice of convenient place, date and time for
  hospital appointments
• By end of 2005, a choice of 4 or 5 services
• Big step in giving patients greater involvement
  in the choices and decisions about their
  treatment
• First major step towards an NHS where everyone is
  connected electronically

4
The process for the patient

• Consults GP
• Patient and GP decide a referral is needed
• Choice of place offered patient and GP choose
  using information provided by www.nhs.uk
• Option to book offered
• Patient either books straight away, or books
  later via telephone or internet

5
The administration for the patient

• Reference number
• Printed appointment slip
• Telephone number for the call centre
• Web site address
• Password

6
The advantages for the patient

• Research shows patients want more choice and
  control
• Certainty of having an appointment immediately
  rather than waiting for a letter
• Choice of a place, date and time that suits them,
  fitting in with childcare, carers, work and other
  responsibilities
• Minimises need for follow up visits to GP to
  check referral status
• Easy to change appointments
• Shorter referral process

7
What influences patients choice?

• Waiting times
• Convenience
• Patient experience
• Clinical quality
• Answers available via www.nhs.uk

8
The patient speaks

• Well, I was sent to the receptionist and I
  watched her make the appointment and it was done
  immediately it was very quick.
• Patient, electronic booking pilot at GP practice
  South London

9
The process for the GP

• GP and patient decide a referral is needed
• Opens Choose and Book software, accesses referral
  guidance and booking guidelines
• Discusses preferences with patient and agrees a
  service
• Patient chooses convenient date and time, GP or
  practice staff to book appointment on their
  behalf
• Enables patient to leave practice with
  appointment at chosen service or to book it later
  
• GP uses referral template or dictates referral
  for later

10
The advantages for the GP

• Fewer queries from patients chasing referrals
• Full directory of all the secondary care services
  available
• Decision support information for referral
• Advice and guidance facility
• Simple referral process

11
The GP speaks

• I would say to anyone having to cope already
  with a lot of paperwork, that this is not going
  to add to it, its going to make your life
  simpler.
• General Practitioner, electronic booking pilot
  South London

12
The process for admin staff

• Patient shows reference number
• Practice staff book the appointment
• Practice staff can complete referral letter and
  add it to the booking
• Receiving staff view referral with key
  information included and appointment already
  booked
• Receiving staff print out referral letter for
  consultant to review
• Receiving staff act on consultants behalf to
  accept, amend or reject the referral

13
The advantages for admin staff

• Able to give the patient an appointment straight
  away so more involved in the care process
• Simplifies administration
• Fewer patients making repeat appointments to find
  out progress of referral
• No lost referral letters
• Immediate information about progress of referral

14
The outpatients manager speaks

• They know exactly when their appointment is,
  they know why theyve been referred, and another
  thing, of course, is they do turn up.
• Outpatients General Manager, electronic booking
  pilot at Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch
  Hospitals NHS Trust

15
The process for consultants

• Consultants can provide advice and guidance
  before the referral is made
• Consultants can reject referral if felt
  inappropriate and direct back to the GP
• Consultants can change the priority of the
  referral and have the appointment rebooked

16
The advantages for consultants

• Legible referrals using standardised referral
  template
• Advice and guidance facility may reduce face to
  face outpatient appointments
• Booking guidance should help ensure appropriate
  referrals
• Fewer DNAs
• More secure referral audit trail

17
The consultant speaks

• Its a fantastic system. It makes it much
  better from the patients point of view, because
  they get seen when they want to be seen.
• Consultant Surgeon, electronic booking pilot at
  Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS
  Trust

18
How will it happen?

• Delivery structure
• Five Clusters
• National Application Service Provider Atos Origin
  
• Local Service Providers
• National and Cluster level support

19

• Readiness to go-live
• System readiness
• Infrastructure readiness
• Stakeholder engagement and cultural change
• Process Redesign and Training
• Extent of electronic booking in the community
• Other booking
• Choice
• Booking Management Service
• Change management

20
What may come next?

• Patients booking via the internet into primary
  care
• Services delivered via Digital TV
• Linked appointments
• Transport requirements
• Primary-to-primary booking
• Tertiary booking and referral
• Follow-up appointments
• Clinical assessment services
• Onward referrals

21
Choose and book - the future of care

• Having a choice of appointments, and making it
  quicker as well, means you dont have to wait so
  long because if youre feeling anxious its not
  so good to have to wait a long time.
• Patient, electronic booking pilot at Royal
  Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Trust

22
www.chooseandbook.nhs.uk