Outpatient guide

Check In for your Appointment either by using our Self Check In Kiosks, or by reporting to an available receptionist. Please try to be on time for your appointment. You will not gain anything by being too early, but if you arrive late people who are on time will be seen before you. Every effort is made to make sure that you are seen on time. Each doctor has his/her own system of appointments and bookings. We try to make sure that you get to see the doctor on time. However, this is not always possible as it might be necessary for the doctor to spend longer with some patients than expected. Occasionally doctors might also be called away to deal with an emergency elsewhere in the hospital. If this happens, every effort will be made to keep you informed.

You might notice that a patient who has arrived after you is being seen before you. This is because they are being seen by a different doctor to you. Students and trainee doctors. Trainee doctors are taught in our hospitals. You will be asked if you object to a trainee doctor being present at your consultation. If you do not want a trainee to be present, please inform the doctor or nurse when you arrive. This will not affect your treatment in any way.

When you visit any of our hospitals we are sure you will find our staff both friendly and helpful. When you come for an outpatient appointment you will need…

• Your full address, including postcode
• Name and full address of your GP
• Your telephone Contact Details
• Appointment card or letter
• Any medicines that you are currently taking (or a list of them)
• A urine sample, if requested

Money to pay for any prescriptions, or an exemption card if you are entitled to free prescriptions When you attend hospital you will also be asked about your ethnicity. All NHS organisations collect this information so we can plan and deliver appropriate services for all groups, to identify any health inequalities and to demonstrate that our services are equally accessible for everyone.

If you are unable to attend your appointment, or need to change it to a more convenient time, please let us know as soon as possible, as this will allow us to offer the appointment to someone else.

We currently have thousands of missed appointments a year and we are trying very hard to reduce the number. If we are informed in advance another patient can be seen in your place.

To help you we have now started an online service to make it easy to cancel or rebook. To access the service click here.

You can also do this by telephoning the Appointment Centre on 01484 355370. Lines open Monday to Friday from 8 am to 7 pm and Saturday 9 am to 12 noon. 

Please note -  if you are a new patient and have booked your appointment through the e-Referral service and need to cancel or rearrange it, you will need to contact the national telephone appointment line on 0845 60 88 88, lines are open 7:00 am to 10:00 pm Monday to Sunday) or online at www.nhs.uk/referrals

When you are first referred to hospital by your GP they will assess your medical condition to decide if ambulance transport is needed. The need to provide transport will then be reviewed at each outpatient visit as a patient’s needs change over time.

Transport can be provided for:

• Patients with extreme mobility problems
• Patients whose medical condition would suffer if other forms of transport were used
• Patients who would suffer unreasonable delays if other transport was used
• Patients who are considered vulnerable

Please notify us if an ambulance is no longer needed by calling the Central Control number on 0845 1203191 or the Patient Reception Centres on 01422 222209 or 01422 222224 at Calderdale Royal Hospital or 01484 342371 at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. If you do not meet the criteria for ambulance transport and cannot provide your own transport, please ask a relative or friend to bring you.