Choose and Book almost 100% at Barking and Dagenham

A London primary care trust has achieved nearly 100% utilisation of Choose and Book without using a referral management services.

NHS Barking and Dagenham is among the top five trusts in the country for use of the e-booking system and is being used as an exemplar of best practice by Connecting for Health.

Simon Wheat, who is primary care IT project manager for NHS Outer North East London, said that Barking and Dagenham practices were making more than 3000 referrals to acute, community and other services every month through Choose and Book.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust had worked with the PCT to go paperless for first outpatient appointments in December last year by making 99% of hospital departments available, he said.

Maternity services are being piloted with Choose and Book with plans to bring community health services into the project.

Mr Wheat said efforts to recognise that not every GP practice worked in the same way, and building relationships with them, was an important element in the programme’s success.

He said: “It’s dealing with practices on a day-to-day basis, trying to help them find solutions and get them to see the benefits and benefits for patients.”

The success in Barking and Dagenham has been recognised by Stephen Miller, National Medical Director for Choose and Book, saying the result was a “great achievement.”

“In this case, the large providers have worked really hard to make all their services available on Choose and Book and GPs across the local health economy are fully engaged,” he said.

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