Not so secure
Fiona Barr explains the background to the recent controversy over confidentiality in the personal demographics service.
Feature
Choose and Book target now March 2007
The target date for the implementation of Choose and Book has been moved back again, this time to March 2007. Margaret Edwards, director of access at the Department of Health, has written to strategic health authority and primary care trust chief executives this week to set out the latest targets on the Choose and Book […]
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GPs highlight “clunky” functionality of C+B
The Choose and Book system is "clunky and cumbersome" and slower than the paper-based referral mechanism it is intended to replace, according to GPs. In a survey of 40 practices undertaken by the GP magazine Pulse, respondents complained of lack of standardisation and speed of the internet browser-based software. Dr Patrick Clarke, a GP in […]
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Dutch trade mission for UK health IT suppliers
The Netherlands British Chamber of Commerce is organising a two day fact finding mission in February for British firms who want to find out more about selling into the fast-growing Dutch health ICT market. The trade mission is intended to be of assistance to British suppliers looking to export their products and services into the […]
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GP says C+B not economic for his practice
A GP has claimed the newly-announced incentives on offer for Choose and Book will still make it uneconomical for his practice to take part in the scheme. Dr David Lewis, a GP in Watford, Hertfordshire, has written to the British Medical Journal to outline his concerns. In the letter he says his practice has calculated that […]
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Mixed feelings from GPs in new survey on NPfIT
A new survey of GPs shows a widespread dislike of Choose and Book, but optimism that the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) will bring improvements in clinical care in the longer term. There were concerns, too, about patient privacy with 71% of GP respondents saying that the NHS Care Records Service would mean the confidentiality […]
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GP contract IM&T incentives announced
GPs are to be offered incentives worth up to £70m in total across England to embrace NHS information and management technology changes. There will also be extra money to implement choice and booking. The proposed changes to the national GPs’ contract, which are due to take effect from 1 April 2006, were published today. The investment […]
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One PCT may have met October C+B target
A primary care trust is hoping it will be able to claim the second £100,000 incentive payment for Choose and Book which it plans to distribute to its successful practices. Durham Dales PCT is likely to be the only trust in England to achieve the target which required a PCT to make 50% of its […]
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Pharmacists call for GP booking facility
Pharmacy representatives are calling for a ‘Choose and Book’ style system to be set up between pharmacies and GP practices so that pharmacists can book GP appointments for patients. The idea has been proposed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) as part of its submission to the Department of Health’s consultation […]
News
National appointment booking line scales up
The national Choose and Book Appointments Line (CABAL) is now handling about 6000 calls a week with about three quarters of them patients calling about a new appointment. The latest figures from Dilip Chakrabati, national director for booking and choice, show that use of the service is growing rapidly. It is likely to increase further […]
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