What happens when you go to see a consultant (hospital specialist doctor)?
In this article, we will describe what happens when you go to a hospital consultant for a face-to-face appointment. Let’s start with the basics.
Making an appointment with a consultant
- In the UK’s NHS you cannot refer yourself to a consultant. For a first appointment, you need to be referred by your GP if they think it’s necessary. You can refer yourself to a consultant if you go privately.
- You can book a follow-up face-to-face appointment with the consultant, if you have already been seen by him/her – over the phone (by ringing his/her secretary), or by visiting the clinic where they work in person. But the consultant has to agree with the appointment. However most appointments are given at the end of the previous appointment (see below).
- In this way, it’s not like your GP – where you are guaranteed to be seen if requested.
- Hospitals are very busy and you may need to two weeks or more, for an appointment.
- You can ask for a male or female doctor if you want – specifying the gender of the doctor may delay the appointment.
- You might not always need to see a doctor. A specialist nurse, who works with the consultant, may be better for some problems.
What to expect when you arrive for your appointment
- It is really important you keep your appointment and arrive on time.
- If you think you cannot attend the appointment you need to call the consultant’s secretary (or the clinic where they work directly) as soon as you can.
- This is really important so they can give the appointment to someone else. Be aware, if you arrive late your appointment will be cancelled.
- When you arrive at the hospital outpatient clinic, you must tell the person on the reception desk you have arrived so they know you are there.
- Some clinics have a computer screen you can use to do this.
- The receptionist or computer will ask you to confirm your name, address and date of birth.
- After this, you will need to wait until your name is called for your appointment.
- Be aware, if the clinic is particularly busy, sometimes there can be a delay with appointments – sometimes up to an hour.
What happens in your appointment
- You will usually see the consultant (or deputy called a registrar) or the consultant’s specialist nurse.
Top Tip. It is often better to wait to see the consultant, even if that takes longer. It is your right to ask for this to happen. - Follow-up appointments usually last for about 15 minutes – first appointments are usually 30 minutes.
- Usually there is only enough time to talk about 1-2 health problems.
- If you have more than one problem you want to talk about, it is a good idea to decide which is the most important.
- If you need more time (to talk about say 3 issues), you may need to make another appointment. Or you can ask for a 30 minute ‘double follow-up appointment’.
- Each appointment is for one person only. But it is often useful to bring a family member with you.
- You cannot bring other family members to ask about their health problems in the same appointment.
- It can be helpful to write down what you want to ask the doctor and take it into your appointment to remind you.
- If you don’t understand anything the doctor (or specialist nurse) tells you, you should ask them to explain it again.
- It is also a good idea to take notes so you can remember what they told you and look for further information if you need it.
- The doctor (or specialist nurse) will tell you if they need to see you again; and if so, arrange the next appointment.
Further treatment
- If you need further investigations, or a hospital-based procedure or operation, the doctor (or specialist nurse) will arrange (and explain) these.
- It is important that you do not leave without the name (and rank) of the person you have seen, and the contact details of the consultants secretary (number and email address) and number of the clinic desk.
Summary
We have described what happens when you go to see a consultant (hospital specialist doctor). We hope it has been helpful.
