在IT支持下，英国看病可以随便转院了

张琨

Patient Choice Becomes a Reality Across the NHS
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<br>From the New Year, for the first time in the history of the NHS, all eligible patients across England will have the right to exercise choice over where and when they get hospital treatment.
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<br>In one of the most fundamental reforms of NHS services, patients have the right to be offered the choice of at least four hospitals or clinics when they need to see a specialist for further treatment. This new way of using the NHS means that patients are given the power to choose faster and better treatment – driving up standards across the NHS.
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<br>Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said:
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<br>“Choice is now a reality in the NHS. Patients have new rights over their own healthcare. These rights will allow patients to choose services which best meet their individual needs and preferences.
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<br>“Throughout the history of the NHS, good quality healthcare has been available on the NHS but not necessarily immediately, nor in some local areas. We have started to change this.
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<br>“As well as setting challenging targets for the NHS, we have also been introducing more choice into the service to help speed up access to certain operations.
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<br>“We are now building on this to ensure that all patients experience a service that is convenient to them while delivering the highest quality care possible. We want efficient health services delivering personalised care to everyone – patient choice is central to making this happen across the NHS.”
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<br>Today’s changes mark a new way of accessing secondary care. When a patient is referred to a specialist for further treatment, they will be provided with the information they need to make a choice about which hospital or clinic appointment is best for them. They can then book the appointment there and then but patients also have the option to take away information about their local hospitals and make their choice later.
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<br>atricia Hewitt said:
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<br>“There are a range of ways in which patients will access information and book their appointment - including through the new Choose and Book computer system, over the phone, or using the internet. Either way, when a patient leaves the GP surgery they will have either made their choice or know exactly what the next step will be to do so.”
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<br>“NHS staff have been working hard to make sure this new system is up and running. But we need to remember that choice will only work to the full if patients exercise their new rights to choose. It will take some time for everybody to get used to this new system, but I am confident that the benefits will be worth it. We will continue to listen to patients and clinicians and to learn from them as this exciting reform starts to have real impact right across the NHS.”
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<br>New booklets have been introduced to help patients make their choice. The booklets contain comparative information about local hospitals. Using these, patients will base their choice on a range of indicators including waiting times, MRSA rates, access and cancelled operations.
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<br>From today, choice menus will be made up of at least four hospitals or clinics.
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<br>During 2006 we will be extending choice further, and by 2008 patients will be able to choose from any hospital or provider which meets NHS standards at NHS costs.
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<br>Also published today are the findings of a survey into attitudes towards choice. The survey was carried out by MORI on behalf of the Department of Health. Findings include:
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<br>·         Sixty-eight per cent of people aged 40 and over would choose a non-local NHS hospital within their SHA if it could deliver treatment in half the time of their nearest NHS provider;
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<br>·         Most are happy to go to either an NHS or a private provider so long as assurances are met over minimum standards of care and the provider is within reasonably easy reach of home;
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<br>·         Waiting times and cleanliness are important factors in deciding where to go for treatment.
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<br>A set of findings are available on the DH website <a href="http://www.dh.gov.uk" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.dh.gov.uk" target="_blank">www.dh.gov.uk</a></a> from January 2.
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