Please check the text of your appointment letter for any specific instructions, for example you may be asked to bring a sample of urine or attend early and/or prepared for a specific test. Should you have any special needs or specific worries about attending for your appointment we are here to help you. Please contact the outpatient manager on 0121 424 0532 to make any necessary arrangements. The hospital staff will already have details about your condition, but please bring the following with you:
- Your appointment card or appointment letter
- Your personal details, such as your address, postcode and a contact number
- Your home address if this is different from where you currently live
- Your GP’s address and telephone number
- Details of any medicines or tablets you are taking (if possible please bring these in their original containers)
- Proof that you do not have to pay prescription charges, where applicable.
What to do on arrival
Please report to the clinic reception desk. The receptionist will confirm your name, address, telephone number and family doctor. This is to enable us to maintain accuracy both within your medical records and on our computer system. You can also help us by informing the receptionist of your ethnicity. This is to ensure that we are providing services in the right way to meet the needs of our patients.
What will happen next?
The Hospital has an appointment system, so arriving early may not mean that you will be seen sooner. We always try to make sure that you are seen by the doctor as near to the time of your appointment as possible. This should generally be within 30 minutes of your appointment time. You should be told if there is going to be a delay.
At your appointment, you may be seen by the consultant in charge of your care, or another doctor who works on the consultant’s team. Ask the consultant or doctor to explain anything that you don’t understand, and discuss anything that is worrying you.
You can have any proposed treatment clearly explained to you, so that you can find out any risks involved in that treatment and any alternatives before you decide whether to agree to it.
After you have seen the doctor they will give you a slip of paper to take to reception. This will say whether you need a further appointment. If you are asked to make another appointment, please book this with the clinic receptionist before you leave.
If the doctor prescribes new or different medication, they will either write and inform your GP or give you a prescription to take to the hospital pharmacy. The standard NHS prescription fee will be charged unless you don’t pay charges. If you can get free prescriptions, you need to bring proof of your exemption with you.
After your appointment, you may need to have blood tests or X-rays. This means that you may have to spend longer at the hospital. If you require any tests following your consultation we will try to perform them during your first visit. However, some tests will require later visits to other departments of the hospital.
Assistance with Healthcare Travel Costs
Patients on low incomes or receiving benefits who may be eligible to receive financial support for travel costs to or from hospital, should also bring with them proof of entitlement, travel receipts and a letter from the GP or dentist for all taxi and community transport reimbursements.
Your rights to information
You have the right to receive copies of any letters written between health professionals about your care. If you would like to receive copies of letters then please tell your consultant, or their secretary, who will arrange it for you.
