To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice on what occasions the (a) Kensington and Chelsea Primary Care Trust and (b) Westminister Primary Care Trust have received from (i) his Department and (ii) the Healthcare Commission on the requirement for patients referred to the Chelsea and Westminister Hospital Foundation by GPs contracted to their primary care trust, to be able to use the choose and book appointment system; and if he will make a statement. (222389)

Advice has been continually given by the Department and national health service Connecting for Health, to primary care trusts (PCTs) and providers of NHS care on the implementation of Choose and Book. The NHS Operating Framework for 2006-07 set a target that 90 per cent., of general practitioner referrals to first consultant-led out-patient services should be made through the Choose and Book system to a directly bookable service by March 2007. This was reconfirmed in the Operating Framework for 2007-08, and also mentioned in the Information Management and Technology guidance, with the aim of moving towards a position where Choose and Book is used as the standard safe and secure method for all referrals.

We are informed that the Healthcare Commission has given no advice to the Kensington and Chelsea PCT, and Westminster PCT on the requirement for patients referred to the Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust to be able to use the Choose and Book appointment system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice on what occasions the Chelsea and Westminister Hospital Foundation Trust has been given on the implementation of the policy of allowing patients to use the choose and book appointments system by (a) Monitor, the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts and (b) the Healthcare Commission; and if he will make a statement. (222390)

We are informed by the Chairman of Monitor (the statutory name of which is the Independent regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts) that no advice has been given to the Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust on the implementation of Choose and Book, except to specify the basis on which NHS foundation trusts (NHSFT) should report compliance, and to draw attention to the definition of the Choose and Book target.

We are also informed that the Healthcare Commission has given no advice to the Chelsea and Westminster NHSFT in relation to the implementation of the policy of allowing patients to use the Book and Choose system.

Choose and Book is a national service that combines electronic booking and a choice of time, date and place for first consultant led out-patient appointments. Advice has been continually given by the Department and NHS Connecting for Health to primary care trusts and providers of NHS care on the implementation of Choose and Book. The NHS Operating Framework for 2006-07 set a target that 90 per cent. of general practitioner referrals to first consultant-led outpatient services should be made through the Choose and Book system to a directly bookable service by March 2007. This was reconfirmed in the Operating Framework for 2007-08 and also mentioned in the Information Management and Technology guidance with the aim of moving towards a position where Choose and Book is used as the standard safe and secure method for all referrals.