NHS websites to collaborate to show choices

NHS websites are set to join up in order to show the choices on offer.

The collaboration of NHS Choices and NHS Direct aims to provide public with their required health information.

As a result of the partnership, the site is set to additionally offer trusted advice and information, allowing users to understand and exercise their choice about health and care.

Health minister Ben Bradshaw said: “By putting all our online health information on www.nhs.uk, the public will easily be able to find out the most suitable health options for them.”

The collaboration is also planned to let patients choose which hospital to be treated at, as well as checking what symptoms they have may mean, via self-help guides and resulting practice profiles to help find GPs.

Mr Bradshaw added that the site will allow the public to “make their own decisions and choices”.
The news follows the releasing of statistics by the Department of Health into GP extended opening hours on the census date (October 21st) for the month.
It found that off 8,263 practices, 4,864 (58.9 per cent) offered extended opening hours, which compares with 51.4 per cent in the previous month.