Choose and Book is a national service that will, for the first time, combine electronic booking and a choice of time, date and place for your first outpatient appointment. By the end of 2005 it will be available to all patients in England requiring elective care.
Choose and Book will enable patients to choose a convenient place, date and time for their initial hospital appointment
Patients will be able to either book their appointment electronically immediately with the GP or other practice staff, or they can call a telephone booking service or use the Internet at a later stage
Currently in North Cumbria and at Caldbeck Surgery the choose and book service is limited to only certain specialties via the telephone booking service.
If your referral is appropriate for choose and book, you will be given a token by your GP with details of the number to ring to book your appointment.
Later it is hoped that the service will be extended to include internet bookings.
For more information regarding choose and book please go to www.chooseandbook.nhs.uk