Case Study: National Patient Choice Survey

The National Patient Choice Survey is conducted by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Department of Health.  The series of surveys monitors patient awareness of choice and recall of having been offered a choice of hospital for their first outpatient appointment. The surveys are designed to provide a national overview of choice and summary results at PCT level.

Patients who had been referred by a GP for a first outpatient appointment in any of 150 major acute NHS trusts or 18 Independent Sector (IS) organisations during a two-week period are invited to take part in the survey. Patients aged under 16 or referred for specialties exempted from choice are omitted from the survey (including urgent referrals, two week wait cancer patients, antenatal patients and those referred to rapid access chest pain clinics or mental health specialties).

These providers of care together account for around 90% of NHS GP referrals to first outpatient appointments. Although the Independent Sector units receive relatively few referrals, their inclusion in the survey (from November 2006) helps to ensure representation of these patients, who might have a different experience of choice.

Survey results can be accessed here.