This section contains a variety of frequently asked questions. For more information and FAQ’s relating to Tier 3 (weight management programme) & Tier 4 (weight loss surgery), please visit our dedicated pages on this, accessed through the Patient Hub.
We know visiting hospital can be a stressful experience and we want to do our best to make you feel at ease and help you understand what may happen during your appointment. Depending on the type of appointment you will be looked after by a group of staff made up of doctors/surgeons, nurses, dietitians and support teams who are here to ensure your journey and experience during your treatment is seamless, promoting your dignity and displaying compassion at all times. We welcome your feedback and concerns as well as highlighting areas where we are doing well. Our staff are well trained to support you throughout your visit and to respond to any queries you might have.
Before your outpatient appointment, please bring the following:
Be prepared to have your bloods taken in most cases.
If you have multiple appointments please be prepared to be at the hospital for upwards of three hours.
Our service is delivered through a combination of face-to-face and virtual appointments. There are occasions where the team will need to see you face-to-face in order to take your current weight, body composition and bloods, there may also be a clinical need to see you in person. In cases where weight loss surgery is being discussed, it is important to meet the MDT face-to-face to support you in making the right, informed decision regarding surgical intervention. You will always be advised in your clinic letter whether your appointment is face-to-face or virtual.
Our virtual appointments are conducted as video appointments. If you do not have access to a smartphone, tablet or computer, please let us know and we will contact via telephone.
We will always do our best to contact you at your planned appointment time however there is no guarantee you will be called at exactly the time stated.
Your appointment letter will give you instructions on how to access this via Chrome or the Safari web browser. Following access details above, you will be held in a virtual waiting room. The clinician is automatically aware that you have arrived for the appointment and when they are ready, they will connect with you to begin the consultation. If our clinician is unable to connect with you, they will attempt to contact you via telephone. Please note, there is no need to create an account and the information within this appointment is not stored.
You will have been invited to an appointment and will have received a letter with a date and time.
If you no longer need this appointment, please ensure you cancel it to enable another patient to attend instead. If you cancel because you no longer require this appointment, you will be discharged back to the care of your GP and not receive any further appointments for this service.
If you do still need this appointment, but are not available at the date and time given, you can request to change this appointment by calling the number below.
01582 561385
Opening times is Monday – Friday, 08.30 – 17.00
(Please note, Monday and Tuesday are the busiest days and therefore may have a longer waiting time)
As per our Trust Access policy, you should only change your appointment once. Further changes to your next appointment offer could result in you being discharged back to your GP with no further appointments, unless there are exceptional circumstances. It is therefore really important you attend your appointments.
There is an option to change your appointment using the e-form on the Trust website; ‘Change / Cancel Appointment’. Please note that if your appointment is within the next 14 days, do not use the e-form, but use the Outpatient contact numbers instead.
How long is my appointment? [Drop down tab]
Your appointment time will vary depending on which stage in the pathway you are at. Our appointments range from 20 minutes to 1 hour. Some appointments, MDT assessment for weight loss surgery for example, are booked together on the same day where you will be seen by a nurse, dietitian, clinical psychologist and consultant anaesthetist, these appointments tend to take around 3 hours in total (you will be notified about these appointments in advance).
For many appointments we will send a letter to you and your GP with details of what was discussed at your appointment. Some appointments do not require a letter to you or your GP. Your clinician will advise you on your next appointment during the consultation and a further appointment will be made. You will receive an appointment letter in the post. If you have reached the end of your Tier 3 pathway you may be discharged from the service or referred onto our Tier 4 service.
Patient transport is for non-emergency, pre-planned appointments, inpatient discharges or transfers. The service is for those patients whose medical condition, mobility or treatment prevents them from travelling by any other means, such as their own or public transport, asking friends or family, or using voluntary or community transport schemes.
For advice on eligibility and to book transport, please call 0345 605 1208.
For advice on eligibility and to book transport, you will need to contact your local provider. For contact numbers, please seek advice from your GP.
You will be asked to provide your date of birth, NHS number (not your hospital number) and information on your mobility.
Please be advised, you will be provided with a booking reference.
As part of our pledge to patients, the L&D is committed to ensuring that there is effective communication with staff and carers.
Effective patient care depends upon the accurate exchange of information.
The L&D provides a range of interpreter and translator services for those people whose main language is not English or who may have a disability which affects communication.
Patients’ relatives are not encouraged to act as interpreters for the patient. A non-independent interpreter may influence or bias information given by health professionals. A friend or relative may have conflicting interests with the patient, and staff have no way of knowing the quality of the interpreting. If a patient wishes to use a friend or relative to interpret, the patient will still be offered the choice of a professional interpreter.
We are able to provide authorised translation services for face-to-face appointments and telephone appointments.
We will require your GP to highlight the need for translation and interpreting services at the point of your referral into the service.
Our Trust is a University Hospital and we are committed to teaching and training future healthcare professionals. Our staff are involved in a variety of research projects and at some stage in your treatment you may be asked to be involved with one of these projects. Any research that you are asked to take part in will be relevant to your care. You have the right to refuse to be involved in any research and refusal will not affect the rest of your care.
It is possible that you will come into contact with students. Our Trust is a University Hospital and we are committed to the training and teaching of future healthcare professionals. From time to time we have students from a variety of disciplines observe our consultations. Students may help with giving you direct care (under supervision) and you might be asked to discuss your condition with students. You have the right to refuse to be seen or treated by students and refusal will not affect the rest of your care.
