 News
20th July 2007
New online information service puts patients in charge
A new NHS website has been launched which aims to provide information
that will allow patients to make meaningful choices about when and where
to receive their treatment.
NHS Choices is an information service providing patients with approved
medical information and helping them and their carers make better choices
about their health and well-being.
As well as finding information on common conditions and procedures previously
only available to clinicians, patients will also be able to source the
best hospital to meet their needs.
This means that if waiting times are a critical factor in choosing treatment,
patients will be able to use NHS Choices to find a hospital that can see
them soonest. Others who may wish to base their decision on travelling
times, or incidence of MRSA, will also have their preferences met.
Drawing on the combined experience and expertise of NHS.uk, NHS Direct,
the National Electronic Library for Health, and the Healthcare Commission,
NHS Choices will give patients access to NHS approved information, including
a health A-Z and comprehensive directories on hospitals, GPs and care
homes.
On launching the website, Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said, "Health
advice is the second most popular subject on the web. Consequently there
is a bewildering array of information online often of varying quality
that can be confusing or in the worst cases dangerous.
"With the launch of NHS Choices that will change - patients and providers
will now have access to the best, most reliable information on health.
"NHS Choices puts patients in the driving seat - giving them access to
information not previously available to them so they can make informed
decisions from advice about healthy eating to identifying the right hospital
for their treatment.
"The site will also enable health providers to form different partnerships
with patients. Providers will be able to communicate directly with the
public online and allowing patients to compare hospitals will encourage
clinicians and managers to improve their performance.
"Over the next few months, we will continue to develop the site and provide
the information that people want and need so that we have a truly patient-led
NHS."
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