From 1 April 2008, patients will have even greater control over when and where they can get their treatment. Any patient receiving routine elective treatment will now be able to choose from any NHS approved hospital provider in England.

Free Choice makes it increasingly important for providers to have a good understanding of the needs and wants of patients and GPs. Empowered patients are more likely to take greater responsibility for their care and treatment and have a better experience of it.

Commenting on the extension of choice of providers, Minister for Health Services Ben Bradshaw said:

"Choice is fundamental to the delivery of a personalised NHS. People would like to have more control and be more involved in the decisions about their illness and treatment. More choice will also help drive up quality and standards across the NHS."

Patient Jack Lester said:

"Choice was important for my wife and I as it meant we had an option on local hospitals. We were able to choose the one which could see us soonest and was still close to home. The standards of treatment and attention were very high, gave us peace of mind and made a real difference."

As part of a broader initiative to raise awareness of choice, and to empower patients to have a real say in their treatment, NHS Trusts and organisations providing health care funded by the NHS, will be able to promote their services to patients for the first time. Patients and their GPs will need reliable, accurate information on which to make choices for their health care needs and promotional activity will help to make this information easily available - along with other sources - such as the NHS Choices website and information in libraries and GP surgeries.

With more hospitals and clinics to choose from, providers may also wish to make more information about their services available to patients in order to help them make these choices.

As well as health care providers being able to advertise their services, a series of NHS branded advertisements will run in regional newspapers and on regional radio, designed to raise awareness of choice and to help patients make informed decisions about their choice of provider.

Advertising and promotional activity will be regulated by a new code of practice, which seeks to achieve a balance between the needs of patients, health professionals and the public.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. Since 1 January 2006, NHS, patients have been able to choose from a list of local providers when referred by their GP for planned hospital treatment. In May 2006, patient choice was extended so that patients could also choose from a national list of Foundation Trusts and independent sector options from across England.

2. The Code of Practice for the Promotion of NHS funded services highlights the existing Advertising Codes, overseen by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), that providers must comply with. A draft Promotion Code was consulted on from November 2006 to February 2007.

3. The new regulator (the Care Quality Commission) will not have a role in enforcing the Promotion Code. Instead, the Code will rely on existing rules which are enforces by the ASA. In addition, the Code contains some NHS specific rules, which will be enforced by Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities.

4. Under free choice, money follows the patient and hospitals are paid a tariff rate for each person treated. There is therefore a strong incentive to provide good quality services and promote them to patients and GPs appropriately. Because the tariff provides a fixed sum for each patients, this will avoid any provider spending inappropriately or excessively on promotion and advertising.

5. The NHS Choices website is at: http://www.nhs.uk

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