National Patient Choice Survey Latest Results, UK

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 02 Dec 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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The following statistics were released today by the Department of Health: Report on the National Patient Choice Survey, July 2008, England, and provisional headline results of the September 2008 survey

The main findings of the July survey are:

-- The percentage of patients recalling being offered a choice of hospital for their first outpatient appointment was 46% in July 2008, compared with 45% in May and 30% in the first survey (May/June 2006).

-- 47% of patients were aware before they visited their GP that they had a choice of hospitals for their first appointment, up from 45% in May and 29% in the May/June 2006 survey.

-- 61% of patients who were aware of choice recalled being offered choice, whereas 34% of those not aware of choice recalled being offered it, similar to the May survey (61% and 32% respectively).

-- 66% of patients were able to go to the hospital they wanted, with a further 23% having no preference and 8% unable to go where they wanted, compared with 66%, 24% and 8% respectively in May.

-- 88% 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 and 41% having no preference.

-- 76% 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 74% of patients) as an important factor when choosing a hospital

Provisional headline findings of the September 2008 survey are:

-- 46% of patients recalled being offered a choice of hospital for their first outpatient appointment, the same as in the July survey.

-- 48% of patients were aware before they visited their GP that they had a choice of hospitals for their first appointment, compared with 47% in July.

-- 68% of patients were able to go to the hospital they wanted, with a further 22% having no preference and 7% unable to go where they wanted.

Click here for the Full Report.

Department of Health , UK