NHS patient choice
The right to choose which provider delivers your first outpatient appointment at referral.
In England, patients referred by a GP for a first outpatient appointment generally have the legal right to choose which clinically appropriate provider carries it out, including qualifying independent-sector providers commissioned by the NHS. Choice is exercised at the point of referral, often through the NHS e-Referral Service. Choosing a provider under patient choice is still NHS-funded care; it is different from paying privately or using insurance.
