The NHS is quietly ditching an electronic booking system for outpatient appointments, Choose and Book, which has cost £356m since 2004, in a further sign of the difficulties of introducing efficient IT systems into the health service. The decision to replace it with a potentially even more expensive e-referral scheme by 2016 follows a drop in its use by doctors and patients. The decision to replace it with a potentially even more expensive e-referral scheme by 2016 follows a drop in its use by doctors and patients. During a recent investigation into NHS waiting times by the House of Commons’ public accounts committee, MPs were told by NHS staff that while some GPs liked Choose and Book, many did not, and that not all outpatient appointment slots were available on it, limiting its usefulness.

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