Patient Choice

All patients should be involved in making decisions with their clinician around their health care. We try to ensure we direct patients to the right clinician the first time. This may mean you don’t always see a GP, you may see or speak to one of our Multi-disciplinary team who can see and treat your condition . If you feel you must see a GP the please discuss this with the reception team when booking.

If you require a referral to a hospital you can choose where you receive treatment , you can read about this below or  by clicking the following link. Your GP will ask you during your consultation where you would like to be seen.

https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/nhs-services-and-treatments/can-i-choose-where-to-receive-treatment/

Can I choose where to receive treatment?

The NHS Constitution gives most people living in England the right to choose where to receive treatment.

You have the right to:

• choose your GP surgery, unless there are reasonable grounds to refuse (for example, you live outside the area that the surgery covers)
• make choices about your NHS care, and to receive information to support these choices

This also means you can choose the organisation that provides your NHS care when you’re referred for your first appointment with a consultant.

So if your GP recommends that you see a specialist, you can choose where and when to see them.

NHS e-Referral Service

The NHS e-Referral Service is an electronic booking service for people living in England.

It allows you to choose from different hospitals and clinics across England (including some private hospitals).

Finding a hospital

If you’re unsure about which hospital or clinic to choose, your GP can advise you on what might be the best choice for you.

When choice is limited

There are some exceptions that may limit your choice – for example, not all hospitals are able to treat every condition, and a hospital must meet NHS conditions on standards and costs.

You also can’t choose when and what services to use in cases where speed of access to diagnosis and treatment is particularly important, such as:

• emergency services
• rapid access chest pain clinics, which are used to diagnosis people with suspected heart problems such an angina, where you must be seen within the 2-week maximum waiting time
• cancer services, where you must be seen within the 2-week maximum waiting time
• maternity services
• mental health services

The following people can’t choose where to receive treatment:

• people held under the Mental Health Act 1983
• military personnel
• prisoners (including prisoners on temporary release)