National Patient Choice Survey Latest Results, UK

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 02 Sep 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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Report on the National Patient Choice Survey, March 2008, England, and provisional headline results of the May 2008 survey

The main findings of the March survey are:

- The percentage of patients recalling being offered a choice of hospital for their first outpatient appointment was 47% in March 2008, compared with 46% in January and 30% in the first survey (May/June 2006).

- 43% of patients were aware before they visited their GP that they had a choice of hospitals for their first appointment, the same as in January and up from 29% in the May/June 2006 survey.

- 63% of patients who were aware of choice recalled being offered choice, whereas 36% of those not aware of choice recalled being offered it, compared with 63% and 34% respectively in the January survey.

- 67% of patients were able to go to the hospital they wanted, with a further 23% having no preference and 7% unable to go where they wanted, the same as in January.

- 90% of patients offered choice were able to go to the hospital they wanted, with a further 4% having no preference. This compares with 46% of patients not offered choice able to go where they wanted with 42% having no preference.

- 79% of patients were satisfied with how long they had to wait from the time their GP referred them to when they saw the hospital specialist.

- Hospital cleanliness and low infection rates were selected most often (by 75% of patients) as an important factor when choosing a hospital.

Provisional headline findings of the May 2008 survey are:

- 45% of patients recalled being offered a choice of hospital for their first outpatient appointment, compared with 47% in the March survey.

- 45% of patients were aware before they visited their GP that they had a choice of hospitals for their first appointment, up from 43% in March.

- 66% of patients were able to go to the hospital they wanted, with a further 24% having no preference and 8% unable to go where they wanted.

Click here for the FULL REPORT.

Department of Health , UK