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Background and Transition Arrangements from Choose and Book to NHS e-Referral Service 

The NHS e-Referral Service, the successor to Choose and Book, is planned to go-live on Monday 15 June 2015.

The new service will be functionally equivalent to Choose and Book, meaning no training will be required for users. The transition will take place over the weekend of the 13th and 14th June 2015, this should not cause any disruption to patient care or working practices and users will be able to utilise the new service to support patients from day one. All past and current referrals made on Choose and Book will have been safely and securely migrated and will be available on the new service from day one.

Over the transition weekend, Choose and Book will be available until 19.00 on Friday 12 June. At 19.00 it will be frozen to allow the transfer of the last of the appointment details to the new system. On Sunday 14 June, the new system will be tested to ensure the data has transferred as expected. If so, the NHS e-Referral Service will be available to all users as from Monday 15^th June.

This means that there will be no access to electronic referrals for users or patients between Friday evening and Monday morning. If patients try to book their appointment on line, there will be a message advising them of the change-over and to try again as from Monday 15^th June. If patients try to ring the national The Appointment Line (TAL - national call centre) or the Milton Keynes Referral Management Service (MK RMS), again advice will be given for the patient to call again as from Monday 15^th June.

Users should continue with their usual method to access this replacement service whether that is via SystmOne or using the Choose And Book icon on your desktop.

If you experience any problems with the new NHS e-Referral Service or SystmOne or your Smartcard, please follow the existing process by placing a fault call with the GEM IT Service Desk on 0300 123 1020 or emailing them at ITServiceDesk@gemcsu.nhs.ukexplaining the nature of the problem.

The new service has been developed using feedback from patients and NHS professionals, and will use enhanced technology to deliver even greater benefits. The new electronic referral service will improve the quality of the referral experience for patients and better support current and future business processes for clinicians and administrative staff. In so doing, it will help create a more patient-centred service, making the NHS much easier to do business with, and supporting the drive towards paperless referrals and a paperless NHS by 2018.

An NHS e-Referral Service homepage will also be developed so further information about the transition can be added as and when it becomes available including Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), slides and examples of screen shots. Details on the future service vision and what future enhanced features can be expected will also be included.

Please log all issues with the Primary Service Desk on 0300 123 1020 or ITServiceDesk@gemcsu.nhs.uk

Further Information and Links

For information on minor changes to main referring roles – please see power-point presentation.

For more information on changes to other roles.  

For the latest news and information on the transition. 

For information on Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

For information on the future service vision for the NHS e-Referral Service.