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Hospital choice influenced mostly by location and transport

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Patients say location and transport are more important than a hospital’s reputation, cleanliness or quality of care when deciding which hospital to be treated in, according to latest Department of Health figures.

GP leaders warned that the DH was more interested in giving private companies NHS contracts than truly heeding patient wishes.

More than 70,000 patients were surveyed in January as part of a series of polls being run on the choice agenda. Results published today show 64% rate location and transport as the top factors for deciding which hospital to attend for first appointments. These factors outweigh consideration on waiting times (21%), the hospital’s reputation (20%), cleanliness (18%) and quality of care (17%).

The latest survey also shows the percentage of patients who recalled being offered a choice of hospital had increased since the last survey in November, but was still less than 50 per cent.

Dr Richard Vautrey, a negotiator for the GPs Committee of the British Medical Association, told OnMedica: “The vast majority of patients want to go to their local hospital, they’re not interested in multiple choices outside their area. The biggest factor almost always is parking and public transport and the ability of relatives to visit them easily.”

He added: “The real agenda behind the choice mantra is privatisation - the government wants to give more health service contracts to private companies. If they really want to give patients choice they would do something about the astronomical parking charges at hospitals, that would make a real difference.”

Just under half of all patients in the latest survey gave additional comments about their experience of arranging the appointment; 9% said they were generally satisfied with the process, while 5% said the appointment took too long to come through.

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