PATIENTS are able to book appointments using their mobile phone or tablet under a new service.

It comes as GPs and East Lancashire Hospitals Trust (ELHT) moved to 100 per cent electronic referrals for consultant-led services.

The NHS e-Referral Service gives patients in East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen the chance to choose an appointment at a time and date that suits them.

Doctors and patients can see in advance what services are available and how quickly the patient can be seen.

The service combines electronic booking with a choice of place, date and time for hospital or clinic appointments.

Patients can choose their initial hospital or clinic appointment, book it in the GP surgery at the point of referral, or later at home by phone or online.

Before August this year, GP referrals were made by paper which took longer, was less secure and cost the NHS and GPs thousands of pounds each month in administration, stationery and postal charges.

Dr Richard Robinson, chairman at East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “We’re delighted to report that the introduction of the NHS e-Referral Service for East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen has been an unqualified success.

“There has been a fantastic response by GPs using the E-Referral System which cuts down on their paperwork and reduces the number of patients who go back to them to find out what is happening with their hospital appointment.

“The system also allows doctors to more easily track their patients’ referrals.”

John Bannister, director of operations for ELHT, said: “The NHS e-Referral Service really is a good news story and it is encouraging that we have all local GP practices confidently using the e-Referral system.

“Here in East Lancashire, the move provides a range of benefits including greater choice of appointment date and time for patients. And we estimate there will also be a reduction in missed appointments which will reduce waiting times.

“Crucial to delivering the e-Referral Service ahead of time has been the excellent working relationship between East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group, Blackburn with Darwen Clinical Commissioning Group and technical specialists from NHS Digital.”

As part of the national initiative for the NHS to become more digitally driven, GPs were required to send referrals for consultant-led service in NHS Trusts in England electronically from October 1 this year.

However, this target was delivered earlier in this area.