Choose and Book FAQ's for GP's:
1) The system shows that a service at PAH is directly bookable, but I cannot see any appointment slots for booking. What should I do?
2) I have a patient that needs an urgent appointment. Can I use Choose and Book to refer the patient to PAH?
3) I want to refer a patient to a certain speciality at Princess Alexandra Hospital, but I cannot find the service on the system. Why is this? Can I still refer to this service and how do I do this?
4) If I accidentally make an inappropriate referral by booking a patient into the wrong speciality or clinic type, what will Princess Alexandra Hospital do?
5) If I book a patient into a routine slot, will the Consultant at Princess Alexandra Hospital have an opportunity to review the patients details and bring the appointment forward to an urgent slot if necessary? How will this be communicated to the patient and to my practice?
6) What services are currently not offered by PAH, through Choose and Book?
7) I have a patient that has been seen by a consultant at PAH. They have been given a follow-up appointment, but I feel the consultant needs to see the patient more urgently. Who should I contact?
8) I am not sure which service is most suitable for the patient. How can I find out the correct referral route?
9) What happens if I cannot attach the referral letter electronically within 3 days?
10) Can Fast Track or 2ww referrals be booked electronically via choose and book?
11) I have a question that is not covered here. Who should I contact for help?
Answers:
1) The system shows that a service at PAH is directly bookable, but I cannot see any appointment slots for booking. What should I do?
When a service is Directly Bookable, appointment slots should be available
for booking. If you cannot see any slots showing on the system, it may be due to a few reasons:
1. Have enough site locations been selected for the patient so they are able to choose from a variety of PAHs sites with different dates and times? These can easily be selected by using the “organisational search” when the speciality has been selected.
2. Demand has exceeded capacity on all sites (these patients are contacted by PAH as extra clinics may be set up)
3. Choose and Book software issue
PAH runs systematic checks to help ensure that problems are identified and resolved quickly. This includes checks to ensure that slots are available. If a problem has been identified, this will have been communicated to your PCT for cascading across local GP networks.
If referrers or GP practice staff cannot find an available appointment they need to ask the patient to call The Appointment Line (TAL) 0845 608 8888.TAL will then initiate the Department of Health’s process for securing the patient an available appointment by forwarding the patients details to us as the patients chose provider. We will then contact the patient to arrange an appointment date and time.
2) I have a patient that needs an urgent appointment. Can I use Choose and Book to refer the patient to PAH?
PAH accepts routine appointments to Directly Bookable Services through Choose and Book within 5 weeks for most specialties.
Once the referral letter is reviewed the Consultant can expedite the appointment if necessary.
3) I want to refer a patient to a certain speciality at Princess Alexandra Hospital, but I cannot find the service on the system. Why is this? Can I still refer to this service and how do I do this?
There are a number of reasons why you may not be able to find the service you are looking for.
Firstly, please ensure that you are looking within the correct speciality. For example, if you are referring a patient to see a Colorectal Surgeon, you will need to look under the speciality “GI and Liver (medicine and surgery) then select the clinic type “colorectal surgery” as this is the way the services have been defined nationally for all providers.
Alternatively SNOMED terms can be selected to assist in the patient’s referral.
If this does not answer your question and you are sure that you are looking under the correct speciality and clinic type and still cannot see PAH as offering the service it may mean it is currently exempt from direct booking. All the services currently provided by PAH are listed on the Trust website if there are queries around service selection please contact Julie Hendy on ext 3105.
4) If I accidentally make an inappropriate referral by booking a patient into the wrong speciality or clinic type, what will Princess Alexandra Hospital do?
PAH understands that the Choose and Book system is a new technology which is sometimes difficult to navigate. Inappropriate referrals will happen.
PAH has put in place systems to deal with inappropriate referrals. If you refer a patient to PAH under the wrong speciality using Choose and Book, we may internally re-refer the patient to the correct service (providing that PAH offer the service) and all the sites are listed. Alternatively the patient may be returned to the GP as a ‘rejection’ this means that the patient must be informed by the surgery that the appointment no longer exists and an alternative pathway is required for the patient.
In addition PAH is constantly refining and updating its directory of services to ensure that the most accurate service selection booking guidance is available to help you decide on correct services for your patients.
5) If I book a patient into a routine slot, will the Consultant at Princess Alexandra Hospital have an opportunity to review the patients details and bring the appointment forward to an urgent slot if necessary? How will this be communicated to the patient and to my practice?
All referrals received via Choose and Book are reviewed by the relevant Hospital Consultant. If the Consultant feels that a patient’s appointment needs to be brought forward, they will notify our Central Appointments Department. The Central Appointments will then promptly contact the patient to arrange a new appointment time and input the changes onto the Choose and Book system. In addition, they will fax a letter to the referring clinician to inform them of what has happened and advise them of the new appointment.
6) What services are currently not offered by PAH, through Choose and Book?
A full list of services is provided on the Trust website but currently the following are exempt from choice and not currently directly bookable via Choose and Book:
DIAGNOSTICS
OBSTETRICS/MATERNITY
7) I have a patient that has been seen by a consultant at PAH. They have been given a follow-up appointment, but I feel the consultant needs to see the patient more urgently. Who should I contact?
You should contact the Hospital outpatient Department and request that the follow-up appointment is bought forward.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU ATTEMPT TO BRING FORWARD FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENTS BY BOOKING PATIENTS INTO EARLIER SLOTS ON THE CHOOSE AND BOOK SYSTEM. CHOOSE AND BOOK IS FOR NEW REFERRALS ONLY.
8) I am not sure which service is most suitable for the patient. How can I find out the correct referral route?
PAH are continually updating the service selection booking guidance which will help GP’s decide on the best referral route for their patients. In cases where you are unsure, please refer to the “conditions treated” and “exclusions” boxes. This will give comprehensive guidance on the types of cases seen by each service.
9) What happens if I cannot attach the referral letter electronically within 3 days?
If the letter is not attached electronically the patient does not appear on the hospital worklist and the Consultant will not be able to review the letter in order for it to be accepted or rejected on the system. This means that the patient could arrive in clinic with no clinical details or even in the wrong clinic.
10) Can Fast Track or 2ww referrals be booked electronically via choose and book?
The Two services that are currently available for fast track patients are Haematology and Head and Neck services. These can be selected under the 2ww specialty and then the appropriate fast track selected from the drop down list. When making a 2ww referral the appointment must be made in the surgery and the appropriate proforma attached.
Further specialties will become available on a role out basis and this will be cascaded to surgeries via the PCT.
11) I have a question that is not covered here. Who should I contact for help?
We advise you to contact your local PCT who will be able to help resolve any issues that you are experiencing.
The Choose and Book Manager is happy to answer any questions you may have that specifically relate to referrals to services at the Hospital. The relevant contact is:
Julie Hendy, Choose and Book Manager
E-mail: Julie.hendy@pah.nhs.uk, Telephone 01279 444455 ext 3105
Other useful numbers:
Choose and Book Appointments Line - 0845 608 8888
Minicom Users Text - 0845 850 2250
