News on IT in Healthcare & Telehealth
 NHS Choice Not the Choice of the Public
     June 26, 2006

According to a survey conducted by the British Medical Association it was found that people were not interested to choose from a wide rage of hospitals but were concerned about health policy and speedy treatment.

But in case of the NHS the main aim is to provide the public with a choice of hospitals.

The survey was presented at the British Medical Association's (BMA) annual representative meeting in Belfast. The policy was prepared mostly by Tony Blair and the Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt. It said that the patients were given a choice of four hospitals from which they can chose the hospital in which they want their surgery to be conducted rather than being admitted to their nearest treatment centre.

But when the survey results were presented it was found that out of the 1000 people surveyed more than 55 % of people did not believe that the NHS offered choice. About 39% of the people only felt the necessity of having a choice between NHS and private services was very important to them.

On the other hand what mattered to the public was to have a say in the health policy and the timing of their treatment.

James Johnson, the chairman of the BMA, said that the choice agenda is welcomed but the patients were not happy with the top priority given to the choice of hospitals.

They would be happy to have a choice over how people are treated in case of chronic conditions and also the access over different drugs. The timing of their treatment was also found to be substantially important.




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