Choose and book

Book your place
Having recently attended a demonstration of the Government's 'choose and book' computer system I am now convinced that it is a matter of urgency that optometry is involved in the mainstream roll-out of this system. It became very clear that there is no way anyone will be in a position to participate in this system without access to the computer booking interface. Each patient requiring any form of elective surgery will be given a unique booking reference number (UBRN) at the point of choice. The only way to generate that UBRN will be to access the choose and book software. It is therefore essential to be connected to the system.

It has become very clear throughout the latter stages of the introduction of choose and book for cataracts just how little some LOCs in the country had been involved in their local process. Many started complaining that PCTs had imposed systems on them without negotiation. This seemed to suggest that the LOCs had done nothing to approach the PCTs with their design of a choose and book system. This is not the first time this has happened and again demonstrates the need for LOCs to become far more proactive.