Face-to-face appointments

Everyone who attends an outpatient clinic is under the care of a lead clinician and their team. You may not see the lead clinician at every visit, but any major decisions about your treatment will be discussed with the lead clinician.

If your clinician recommends that you have a procedure, they will explain the benefits and risks to you, together with any alternatives, before you consent to treatment.

If you need medication, you will either be given a prescription to collect at either the hospital pharmacy or locally, or your GP will be asked to prescribe it.

Please check our latest visiting guidance regarding bringing someone with you for an outpatient appointment. All patients can request a chaperone to be present during their consultations or procedures. For more information, please view our chaperone policy.

Video appointments

Alongside our partners at DrDoctor, we are also able to offer some patients the option of having video consultations with their care team.

Video consultations are an easy way for you to have your appointment, without needing to travel to hospital and offer a safe and easy alternative to face-to-face appointments.

Read more on our guide to how virtual appointments work, and frequently asked questions. 

Telephone appointments

We may also run your outpatient appointment as a telephone consultation. Your appointment letter will indicate if this is the case.

During the appointment, please have a list of any questions you would like to ask and a list of your current medications.

It is important that you are somewhere quiet and private for the consultation, as our clinician will need to discuss your medical history and current health during the appointment.

We will always try to call you at the appointed time, but there may be delays with appointments and would appreciate your understanding if we call later than the time stated. If you have not heard within 60 minutes of your appointment, please phone the number on your clinic letter.

Please make sure your phone is fully charged and not on silent mode. Our call may appear on as a private or withheld number on some devices.