Making medical tests work for you: Offering patients more choice

[warfarin1]

From 2013 we will have more choice about where, when and how we receive some of the most common medical tests including blood tests and heart scans.

You will be able to pick somewhere closer to home or near where you work. You will make these decisions in partnership with your doctor, who will help advise on which choice will be most appropriate.

You will be able to get more information to help youchoose which hospital for treatment by using Choose and Book, which will include detailed waiting times information on the system. and you ou will get a better sense of how long you may have to wait for treatment.

But what if the "quickest and best" is a long way away, how far will people want to travel? The people we hear from on our helpline want good treatment close to home.

I would be interested in other peoples thoughts.

[suffolkcounty]

Sounds good - but will it work in theory. How much will our GP really know?

When it comes to treatment in hospital, the hospital, surgeon and aftercare should be transparent and facts available the public so that they can make an informed decision.