About our service
Our outpatients departments are for patients who need to be seen by a medical professional, but don't necessarily need to be admitted to hospital. There are various reasons why patients will be offered an outpatient appointment, including:
- Following a visit to your GP - they may feel you need to be seen by a health professional at the hospital. They will be able to refer you to the appropriate clinic
- You may have already been seen by a health professional in an outpatient clinic, and we may have requested to see you again
- You may need to be reviewed following an admission to hospital
How to access our services
Outpatient appointments are held in our outpatient clinics, where you will be seen by an appropriate health professional - this could be a doctor, nurse or specialist GP. In some circumstances you may be able to choose the date and time of your appointment, as well as your preferred clinic. After agreeing the details of your appointment, you will receive a confirmation letter or appointment card – this will also tell you where your appointment will be held.
All questions or queries about your appointment should be directed to the telephone number stated on your appointment letter or card, to make sure you contact to the right team or department. Please note that some outpatient appointments, like physiotherapy, x-ray and ECG, are not dealt with by the Central Appointments Office.
If you have lost your letter or need to confirm the date or time of your appointment, please contact the Central Appointments Office at Durham or Darlington. It’s really important that you let us know if you can’t attend your appointment - please telephone the hospital as soon as possible, so we can offer your appointment to someone else. If required, we will offer you an alternative appointment.
Please don’t arrive more than 15 minutes before your appointment time. Patients in our clinics are seen in the order of their appointment time, and arriving earlier will not mean you will be seen earlier.
Upon arrival, please report to the reception desk with your appointment letter or card. Our friendly reception staff will confirm your personal details, such as your name, address, telephone number and next of kin.
Please bring a list of your medication with you to your appointment. You may be weighed by a member of our nursing staff and a urine sample will be taken if necessary. You’ll then be directed to the appropriate waiting area.
We aim to see all patients within 30 minutes of their appointment time, however unexpected delays can sometimes occur - we appreciate your patience if this does happen, and we’ll do our best to keep you updated.
Your appointment will usually last about 10 minutes, but if you require other tests you may need to stay a little longer.
If you are issued a prescription during your appointment, please note that this can only be collected from the hospital dispensary. If you normally pay for your prescriptions, please make sure you bring some money with you.
After your appointment, you may:
- Be asked to return for another outpatient appointment. The receptionist will agree a convenient date and time with you, before you leave
- Require further tests - we will give you details of how these will be arranged
- Be added to a waiting list to have further treatment or surgery at a later date. Details of how this will be arranged and will be explained to you.
- Be returned to the care of your GP.
Hospital treatment is free to people who live in the United Kingdom (UK). If you do not normally live in the UK, you may be asked to pay for your treatment. Our staff may ask you some additional questions to determine if you are eligible for free treatment.
If you’re struggling to get to hospital or attend medical appointments, help is available – find out more about Non-emergency NHS Funded Transport.