Patient choice in emergency and urgent care
You have a legal right to make informed decisions about your care, as set out in the NHS Constitution and NHS Choice Framework.
You can usually choose:
- Where to have planned outpatient care
- Which healthcare provider you use (if they offer NHS-funded services)
- Whether to accept or refuse treatment.
Limits to choice in emergencies
In urgent or emergency situations, you usually cannot choose your hospital or care provider.
The ambulance will take you to the nearest suitable hospital to keep you safe and provide the treatment you need.
If you do not have mental capacity and need emergency care, the clinician can overrule your choice to make sure you get the right treatment quickly.
Specialist pathways
Sometimes, patients are taken to specialist centres further away for certain conditions, such as:
- Heart attacks (PPCI)
- Major trauma
- Strokes (HASUs)
- Maternity emergencies
- Critically ill children (via EMBRACE service).
Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs)
If a patient has a CBO, ambulance staff will taken them to the nearest emergency department if they have a genuine medical need. The hospital will then decide how to manage the CBO.
Key points
- Most of the time, you will be taken to the nearest, most appropriate hospital.
- Sometimes, you may be taken further away if it is clinically necessary or pre-arranged.
- Decisions are made by ambulance staff based on your health needs, available resources, and safety for everyone.
- You can read more information, including examples and case studies, online or you can access the full NHS Choice Framework.
