Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of patients who are aware of their right to choose where they receive their consultant-led treatment.

The Manage Your Referral (MYR) NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS) Survey enables patients who have used e-RS for elective referrals for directly bookable services to record their experience of being offered a choice of elective care provider.

The MYR e-RS Survey includes a question on whether patients are aware of the choices available to them when attending a first outpatient appointment. In 2021/22, 50% of 7,000 patients surveyed reported that they were aware of the choice of hospitals or clinics for an appointment. The Survey’s results are available to integrated care boards and NHS England to review in order to meet its responsibilities relating to patient choice.

Use of the e-RS for referrals from general practitioners for consultant-led first outpatient appointments is mandated in the latest NHS and GP Standard Contracts.