I don’t think any normal GP is impressed with Choose and Book (GP, 6 October).
Even patients think its a farce, especially when I show them the expensively produced 20-page colour booklet showing a choice of five hospitals for each part of the country.
Two of the hospitals in the booklet for my area are on the government’s hit list for closure, although neither is in deficit to the sum the government has wasted on computers.
In any case, patients always choose their local hospital.
Having put up with several generations of computers in the surgery, I find that GPs fall into two categories: those who are primarily interested in patients, and those who prefer computers. The latter have facilitated the new GMS contract.
Choose and Book is rubbish. The whole process takes longer than the patient’s consultation. It is a silly computer game that patients don’t like, because it distracts the GP. I wouldn’t expect computer geeks to understand that though.
Dr Paul J Searle
Eaton Socon, Cambridgeshire
