Free Choice Choose and Book update delayed

The latest update to the national Choose and Book system, containing the new tools required to support patient ‘Free Choice’ has been postponed.

Free Choice is the flagship government policy that was introduced at the beginning of April. Without the updated Choose and Book software it will be difficult to fully deliver.

Due to have gone live over the weekend of 12-13 April the software, release 4, was pulled on Friday 11 April, when a communiqué was issued by the Connecting for Health Choose and Book team.

The bulletin said: “The deployment of Release 4.0 had been scheduled for deployment on 12th April 2008. However, due to a recently detected issue, it has been decided to postpone the release until the issue is fully rectified.”

No new deployment date has yet been provided for the software. CfH says a further communiqué will be issued when a new date has been agreed.

The revamped software is due to replace existing functions with two initial choices for referrers, either to ‘Search Primary Care’ or ‘Search All’.

Services provided by GP practices, PCTs and care trusts are listed under Primary Care, while services provided by NHS acute and foundation trusts, the independent sector or hospices will be listed under Secondary Care.

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Choose and Book release four due 12 April