Government unveils NHS Choice website plans

The British Government has outlined plans for its National Health Service (NHS) patient website.

NHS Choice will include directories of hospitals and treatment facilities, along with information on waiting times, standards of cleanliness and readmission rates. Similar information will be available for GPs and care homes.

People will also be able to use the site to book operations online, choosing the date, time and hospital. Under recent changes made by the department of health, patients are to be allowed to choose between at least four hospitals for operations or outpatient appointments.

As reported in Computeractive, the site will also allow patients to give feedback on their experiences. The feedback section will be moderated to ensure doctors and nurses are not criticised by name. The Government says that other criticism will be left online, as long as it is not libellous or offensive.