NHS Choices website
NHS Choices, a new NHS health information service, was launched in June 2007.
The aim was to support the public to become active consumers of healthcare rather than passive recipients, and to help individuals, their family or carers to make more informed choices.
Speaking about the plans for the new online service in the House of Commons in May, Secretary of State Patricia Hewitt said that: '[NHS Choices] will give patients easy access to information about conditions, treatments and hospitals. It will help the public to make informed choices about their own health, including when and where they receive treatment.'
However, implementing the choice agenda was not straightforward. For example, data from the Department of Health showed that, in 2010, only 4% of patients cited NHS Choices as the most important source of information when choosing their hospital. 2010 research by The King's Fund also found that patients were often loyal to their local trusts and could be reluctant to travel further away.
From 2018, the NHS Choices website was referred to as the NHS Website.
House of Commons.
Patient Choice. 22 May 2007: Volume 460.
Hansard; 2007.
Department of Health.
Choice matters 2007-08: putting patients in control.
Department of Health; 2007.
Department of Health.
Report on the national patient choice survey, England - February 2010.
Department of Health; 2010.
Dixon A, Robertson R, Appleby J, Burge P, Devlin N, Magee H.
Patient choice; how patients choose and how providers respond.
The King's Fund; 2010.
PSNC.
NHS Choices website now referred to as the NHS website.
PSNC; 2018.