North Downs and Ashtead Hospitals are continuing to provide a high standard of patient care, efficiently and effectively to NHS patients, now almost two years on from the launch of Britain's innovative Patient Choice scheme and one year since free choice was enshrined in legislation.

Patient Choice (also known as Free Choice) allows patients to choose to go to any hospital in England, including many private and independent sector hospitals. Patients may choose the hospital with the best reputation or shortest waiting times, or simply the one that is most convenient for them.

North Downs and Ashtead Hospitals' General Manager Phil Bates said: "We are very pleased to be able to provide another option for public patients who can benefit from a wider range of providers, with the opportunity to choose a hospital closer to home. An ageing population is putting increased pressures on the NHS. The independent sector, whilst primarily here to meet the needs of patients who are privately insured or self funded, is well placed to assist the NHS to meet the challenges that lay ahead with an ageing population and the increased healthcare burden that will come with this."

Approximately 3.5% of the total NHS treatment population are treated in the independent sector throughout the UK.

Mr Bates said: "In the UK, the independent sector is still treating a very small number of NHS patients relative to the total NHS treatment population and relative to other health systems such as Europe where the private sector plays a much larger role in public healthcare delivery. So we are certainly not a threat to the NHS which is seeing an escalating demand on its resources."