The nine projects at the heart of NHS IT

Choose and Book

The Electronic Booking Service - known as Choose and Book - allows GPs to make hospital appointments at a convenient time for patients.

The idea is that when patients need to be referred to a consultant they can book the appointment on the spot with their GP. Alternatively they can do it online or on the phone.

The system aims to cut the lengthy delays, often lasting weeks, between visiting the GP and receiving an appointment from a hospital.

What progress so far?

Choose and Book has been subject to long delays - finally coming into service a year later than expected. It has also been criticised by the people in charge of the project.

NHS Connecting for Health told silicon.com: "The NHS is continuing to roll out Choose and Book locally."

It said that as at close of business on 13 January 2006, 7,012 GP practices had the technical capability to access and use Choose and Book out of a total of just over 8,500 practices.