NHS 18 week target is preventing choice
Hospitals across England are stopping patients booking advance appointments in an attempt to meet a labour Government promise of treatment within 18 weeks.
Pulse magazine said 90 per cent of hospital trusts reduced the scope for advanced booking in the past six months to help meet the target of 18 weeks between GP referral and hospital treatment.
The proportion of appointments listed as unavailable on the electronic Choose and Book system – where patients choose where to be treated – rose “sharply”.
Many of the 28 trusts polled in the magazine’s survey said that reducing the number of weeks allowed for advanced booking was “essential” for hitting the target.
Dr Andrew Mimnagh, a GP, said: “Choice is sacrificed to ensure patients are directed to the capacity available – the hospitals people do not choose to go to.”
From:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/27/ngrant227.xml
