NHS Choices claims £44m annual saving

The document says the health information website experienced a 10% increase in the number of visits in 2010 compared to 2009. It cites an independent study by Imperial College which found that NHS Choices made substantial annual savings through reductions in avoidable and unnecessary consultations. The research, commissioned by the Department of Health and involving 4,000 patients through an online questionnaire and a survey in waiting rooms at London GP practices, found that 70% of patients use the internet to search for health information. A third of those decided not to visit their GP afterwards, as they were able to find the information they were looking for. The 2010 annual report also outlines plans for website in 2010-11, which include: extending patient comments to all NHS services including dentists; the development of a medicine hub that provides detailed information on all products; a maternity comparison tool to enable mothers to compare key aspects of care; information on each consultant working in the NHS; and a new editing facility enabling healthcare providers to give more comprehensive details of their treatments, services and facilities. NHS Choices also wants to improve social network linking, allow users to rate and comment on a wide variety of articles, and produce a personalised NHS Choices home page that will allow users to customise the layout and display content "relevant to their age group". Health minister Simon Burns said: "Every day we use the internet and technology to organise our lives, and increasingly when it comes to our health. For example, more and more people are taking the information they have found online with them when they consult their GP. It is important they can find accurate, trusted information from sources such as NHS Choices. "It is vital that every penny spent on the NHS counts, and the Imperial College research shows that tools like NHS Choices can help deliver savings."