Patients needing elective (planned) treatment will
be offered a choice of at least four treatment providers
once their GP has decided that a referral is required.
These providers could be NHS trusts, foundation trusts,
treatment centres, private hospitals or practitioners
with a special interest operating within primary care.
As well as choosing where they go, patients will
be able to choose when they go by phoning an appointments
line, booking over the internet, or booking at their
GP surgery.
From May 2006, patients have extended choice and
can choose to be treated at a foundation trust in
another part of the country. Independent sector treatment
centres will also become choice options during 2006.
By 2008, patients in England can opt to choose any
healthcare provider complying with NHS standards. |
The Picture Archive
and Communication System (PACS)
Our new hospital-wide system was implemented
Trust-wide during 2005. It is designed to send
x-ray images around the Trust via the hospital
computer network, allowing the images to be
viewed on PCs, and replacing physical x-ray
films. Becoming 'filmless' offers enormous benefits
to patients and staff, including making images
available to doctors and other healthcare professions
wherever they are in the hospital and the risk
of loss or damage to the image can be avoided.
There are also huge benefits in terms of saving
staff time across the Trust and releasing storage
space for alternative use.
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