THE organisation that runs doctors' surgeries and dental practices in Worcestershire is one of the worst in the country for offering patients choice.

Worcestershire Primary Care Trust performed badly in the recent patient choice survey.

Patients referred for specialist care by their GPs should now be offered a choice of hospitals for their first appointment.

The Department of Health commissioned the National Patient Choice Survey in January 2007 to assess whether patients were being offered a choice of hospitals to go to and information about the Choose and Book system, which came into force in January 2006.

However, Worcestershire PCT was one of the worst performing trusts, with just 29 per cent - 286 patients - of the 989 surveyed being offered the option of which hospital they wanted to visit and only 27 per cent offered a booklet explaining the system by their GP.

A trust spokesman said: "Our primary care team is working with local doctors to improve their uptake of the system. It is fair to say some GPs are using it more extensively than others.

"The primary care trust is working to improve and promote patient choice in Worcestershire and this week every household has had a Choose and Book leaflet.

"There was also a promotional day at Crowngate Shopping Centre in May explaining the new computer-based system."

She said patients could now agree a hospital with their GP and even book an appointment before leaving the surgery.

Worcestershire's figures fell below the national average, which recorded 45 per cent of patients being offered a choice of hospitals and almost 32 per cent being offered the booklet.

The survey revealed the most important factor influencing a patient's decision was the location of the hospital and accessibility, followed by waiting times, the hospital's reputation, cleanliness and quality of care.