Your appointment

We ask patients to attend their appointment alone where possible, but should you feel you need the support, we ask that this is restricted to one adult. If you feel you need additional people to accompany you then please contact the clinic beforehand to make appropriate arrangements.

While social distancing restrictions have been relaxed, be aware that each department has a maximum capacity for health and safety reasons – if this capacity is reached we may ask those accompanying patients to wait outside of the department.

• Please do not attend your appointment if you have symptoms.
• Please do not arrive earlier than 15 minutes before your appointment.
• Please proceed directly to your appointment on arrival and leave directly afterwards.

Further information regarding your visit and Covid 19 can be found here.

Your first appointment

To book an appointment in our outpatient clinic, you first need to be referred to the hospital by your GP or another healthcare provider. You can find your GP here. (opens in a new tab)

Before your appointment

Before your outpatient appointment there are a few items we suggest you bring with you:

• Your appointment letter or appointment card
• Information about you; including your address, your GP’s address and for children, their school address.
• You will be asked various demographic related questions upon your arrival, it is NHS England requirements that we collect certain data at each appointment and we apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused.
• You will be asked about your previous medical history, so it's a good idea to make short notes on information you think is helpful before you come to clinic including a list of the medicines and allergy treatments; the names of the medication, what you’re taking it for and how often you take it. This includes anything prescribed by your GP, medicines bought over the counter at a pharmacy, herbal and homeopathic remedies. You may also find it useful to make a note of questions you want to ask.
• A pen and paper - it may be useful for you to make notes about anything the doctor says in the clinic so you can be clear about what has been discussed later.
• Should you have any specific requirements relating to your appointment and / or accessibility concerns please email CUH accessibility or call us on 01223 256998 (option 1).

Remember to leave plenty of time to travel to the hospital and find your clinic. If you are not sure where to go please ask at the reception desk.

Consider whether you need a chaperone.

When you arrive

Your appointment letter or appointment card should tell you where to go when you arrive. It will also include details about parking and discounted parking

If not, please call the number on your appointment letter or appointment card. If you misplace your appointment letter or card you can find clinic contact details on our clinic A-Z.

If you need information, a wheelchair or any other help when you arrive, please ask at the outpatient reception desk.

If you have any questions or are unsure about what to do or what is happening, please ask - our staff are there to help you.

Please tell the clinic receptionist if you have any hearing or sight impairment.

If for any reason you feel vulnerable or uncomfortable waiting in the waiting room then please let the receptionists know.

Delays may happen sometimes. For example, when doctors are called away on an emergency, consultations take longer than expected or emergency cases are referred. Please bear with us in these circumstances - we will be working to see you as soon as possible. The clinic staff will keep you informed about what is happening.

At your appointment

When you see the doctor

At your appointment, you may be seen by the consultant in charge of your care, or by another doctor who works on the consultant’s team. If the consultant or doctor decides that you need to be seen again, you will be asked to book a further appointment with the clinic receptionist before you leave.

Patient Initiated Follow-up Appointments

Some clinical services offer patients something called patient initiated follow-up appointments or "PIFU" appointments. These can be used in a number of different scenarios, and can reduce the need for attending appointments. The idea is that you only send an appointment when you feel there is a clinical necessity to do so. If you would like to know further details or would like to see if you are eligible for such an appointment, please speak to your clinician.

Ask us questions

We want you to be involved in your healthcare and play an active part in decision making. We will always make time to listen, so please speak up if you have any queries or concerns.

How to identify our staff

All staff in our hospitals wear identity badges, which should be visible at all times. Ask any member of staff to show you their badge, and they’ll be happy to do so. Staff such as nurses, healthcare support workers and domestics all wear uniforms. Doctors and consultants don’t have uniforms, but may wear a white coat.

Clinic appointments

The majority of outpatient appointments are held during normal working hours.

There are some clinics where appointments are arranged for weekends or early evening to accommodate particular individuals/family commitments.  In these cases you can expect to have the same access to chaperoning as during usual clinic times. 

Concerns, comments and complaints

If you are unhappy with any aspect of your care or the service you receive in your outpatient clinic, please speak to a member of clinic staff as soon as possible.

If you are still not satisfied, please contact PALS (Patient Liaison and Advice Service) situated in the information centre in the hospital's main reception.

Feedback

If you have visited outpatients recently, either as a patient, friend, relative or carer, please take the time to complete our friends and family survey. This will take no longer than 5 minutes to complete.

Complete our outpatients - friends and family survey (opens in a new tab).