National Patient Choice Survey Latest Results - Department Of Health, UK

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 13 Oct 2008 - 4:00 PST

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The following statistics were released today by the Department of Health:

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

The main findings of the May survey are:

-- The percentage of patients recalling being offered a choice of hospital for their first outpatient appointment was 45% in May 2008, compared with 47% in March and 30% in the first survey (May/June 2006).

-- 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 and 29% in the May/June 2006 survey.

-- 61% of patients who were aware of choice recalled being offered choice, whereas 32% of those not aware of choice recalled being offered it, compared with 63% and 36% respectively in the March survey.

-- 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, compared with 67%, 23% and 7% respectively in March.

-- 89% of patients offered choice were able to go to the hospital they wanted, with a further 4% having no preference. This compares with 45% of patients not offered choice able to go where they wanted and 42% having no preference.

-- 77% 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 July 2008 survey are:

-- 46% of patients recalled being offered a choice of hospital for their first outpatient appointment, compared with 45% in the May survey.

-- 46% of patients were aware before they visited their GP that they had a choice of hospitals for their first appointment, compared with 45% in May.

-- 67% of patients were able to go to the hospital they wanted, with a further 22% having no preference and 8% unable to go where they wanted.

For the full report please click here.

Department of Health
http://www.dh.gov.uk