Consultant outpatient clinics

Many of our consultants run clinics for outpatients. You may have been referred to one of these clinics for a specialist opinion by your GP or by another hospital consultant or you may have been an inpatient in the hospital and advised to come back for a review.

Before your appointment

You should receive an appointment letter or appointment card telling you where to go for your appointment and when.

If you need translation services or a sign language interpreter, or if you have other specific requirements, please contact the consultant's secretary as soon as possible before your appointment so that we can make arrangements for you.

For more information about the consultant or specialty service that you are attending, please see our clinical services section.

Coming in for your appointment

When you are coming in for your appointment, remember:

Check where you are to go. This should be on your appointment letter. If you are unsure, ask at the main reception desk on Level 0 in the Whitty Wing (North Circular Road entrance) and they will help you.
Give yourself plenty if time to get here and find your destination. Find out more about getting to the hospital and for helpful directions use our finding your way around the hospital tool.
Please arrive 10 minutes before the time on your appointment letter or card to give yourself time to register with clinic staff.

What to bring with you

Please bring the below items with you for your appointment:

Your appointment letter or appointment card
A list of the medicines you are taking, including any herbal or over-the-counter medicines and nicotine replacements
Your medical card if you have one
Health insurance policy details if you have one
If you are attending the eye clinic, please bring your glasses with you
An emergency contact number of a relative or friend
Your GP's name and contact details

What to expect at your appointment

Please check-in at the reception desk of the clinic so that we know you have arrived and can register you. You should also bring your appointment card or letter and your medical card/medical insurance information.

Who will see you at the clinic?

Every patient is under the care of a hospital consultant. However, another doctor on the team may discuss your medical condition and treatment with you. Each clinic also has a team of medical, nursing and therapy staff.

Wait times and delays

Clinics see outpatients in the order of their appointment time, not in the order of their arrival. We will try our best to make sure that the consultant sees you at your appointment time. However, staff may be delayed or called away because of emergencies elsewhere in the hospital. Clinics can also fall behind schedule if there are patients who need more time than expected.

Change or cancel your appointment

Our outpatient clinics are very busy and there are often other patients waiting for appointments.

If you accept an outpatient clinic appointment, please make sure that you attend.
Call us as soon as possible if you need to change or cancel your appointment. Check your appointment letter for contact information.
Remember: if you don't turn up for your appointment, it may not be possible to offer you another appointment.

Follow-up appointments

If you don't need any tests or scans, you can make your follow-up appointment before leaving the clinic.

If you do need a test or scan, the doctor will order it for you. You will receive the appointment for this test or scan in the post. Once you receive this letter, you can then contact your consultant’s secretary to arrange your follow-up appointment after the test or scan.

Blood tests

If you need to have blood tests done, you can book this online of by telephone. For information on booking blood tests, please see our blood tests page.