Patients

Information for outpatients

Waiting for your appointment date

We do our best to see you as quickly as possible and to keep to appointment dates. If your condition seems to be getting worse while you are waiting to come to hospital, please see your GP.

Unable to make your appointment?

By missing your appointments and not telling us in good time, you could put your own health at risk and make others wait longer. At St George’s Healthcare more than 61,000 appointments were wasted in one year (April 2008 to March 2009). This cost the hospital more than £6.5 million.

If you cannot attend, please let us know by phoning 020 8725 3000 , this line is open from 08.00hrs to 18.00hrs. We can give your appointment to another patient and we can rearrange yours.

If transport has been arranged for you and you cancel or change your appointment, it is essential that you contact the patient transport assessment booking (TAB) team on 020 8725 0808.

Cancellations by us

We try to keep every appointment we make, but medical emergencies and unforeseen circumstances mean that we sometimes have to cancel appointments. If this happens, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused and will arrange a new date for you as soon as possible. Please note that the hospital cannot reimburse you for any costs incurred as a result of a cancellation.

Where do I go when I arrive?

Your letter will tell you which wing to go to. If you are not sure, go to one of the reception desks in Grosvenor Wing (the main entrance) or Atkinson Morley Wing. Volunteers are also available around the hospital to help you find your way. If you come by ambulance you will arrive at the Patient Transport Office in Grosvenor Wing where you will be taken to your clinic. They wear an identification badge and either a burgundy coloured blazer, sweatshirt or waistcoat.

What if I need help or support?

Please call the number on your letter if there is anything more we can do to meet your needs for your appointment or admission.

If you know someone with a learning disability who is coming into hospital or has an appointment please contact the consultant nurse for learning disabilities on 020 8672 1255 extension 2217 or bleep 8386.

If you need a language interpreter, please ask someone who speaks English to call the telephone number on the top of your appointment letter.

Signers can be arranged to help you during your visit. Please call the number on your letter to let us know what help you need. Please give us as much notice as possible.

Your appointment

You have an appointment to see a doctor, nurse or therapist in an outpatient clinic.

When you arrive at the clinic, please let the receptionist know who you are. Please arrive in plenty of time for your appointment to help us to stick to appointment times. Some appointments are brief whereas others can include tests and scans. Therefore, please allow up to half-a-day for your appointment unless you have been told otherwise.

If you have any special needs, please telephone the number on your admission letter. Reasonable adjustments will be made to meet your needs.

Questions you might like to ask in your appointment:

Here are some suggested Questions to ask. This leaflet is also available as an easy read version, in other languages and in large print.

What to bring with you

Please bring :

• your NHS number if you know it (it should be on your NHS card or any letter from your GP)
• your appointment card or contact letter – this will detail any special instructions and includes your hospital number
• a list of any questions you want to ask
• all medication that you take or use, including:
  • - prescription medication
  • - medicines you have bought
  • - alternative medicines such as herbal remedies
• any scans or results taken by other hospitals relevant to your condition
• your glasses, hearing aid, walking aid
• something to pass the time such as a book or magazine.

Your appointment might involve an examination or test (such as blood pressure or blood test). You might like to think about wearing looser fitting clothes to make this easier.

Please do not bring any valuables to the hospital.

Hospital prescriptions

You may have been given a prescription for medication at the outpatient clinic. We will explain where to take it, depending on the type of prescription it is.

• A hospital outpatient prescription can only be dispensed at St George’s Healthcare at either the St James Wing or Lanesborough Wing outpatient pharmacy (whichever is nearest to your clinic).
• An outpatient medication plan will need to be taken to your GP surgery where your GP will issue an FP10 prescription. You can take an FP10 prescription to your community pharmacy.

If you have any questions about your medicines, please call our pharmacy patient help line 020 8725 1033. The line is open Monday to Friday 09.30 to 17.00 hours.

Follow-up appointments

If you need to come back for follow-up care, an appointment will usually be made before you leave the clinic or we will send you a letter to invite you back.

I’m an overseas visitor – will I have to pay for my treatment?

Yes, the NHS charges overseas patients, unless they are exempt. Clinic staff or the overseas patients department on 020 8725 3439 can advise you about this.

Facilities

Telephones

Pay telephones and mini-cab free-phones are available in all the main entrances.

Shops

There are a number of retail outlets, including:

M&S Simply Food store

• location: main entrance, Grosvenor Wing
• open: Monday to Friday 07.00 to 21.00 hours
• open: Saturday to Sunday 08.00 - 21.00 hours

Whistlestop newsagent and convenience shop

• location: main entrance, Grosvenor Wing
• open: Monday to Friday 07.00 to 21.00 hours, Saturday and Sunday 09.00 to 19.00 hours

Toilets are located in every wing. Disabled access toilets are in the main entrance, Grosvenor Wing, Knightsbridge Wing, St James Outpatients Department, on the ground floor in Atkinson Morley Wing and Lanesborough Wing Outpatients Department.

Baby changing rooms are located in the main entrances of the Grosvenor Wing and Atkinson Morley Wing and outside the dining room on the first floor of the Lanesborough Wing.

Pharmacy

The Lanesborough Wing outpatient pharmacy is open to dispense St George’s prescriptions from:

• 09.00 to 17.30 hours from Monday to Friday
• 11.00 to 15.00 hours on Saturday
• 10.00 to 12.00 hours on Sunday

The St James Wing outpatient pharmacy is open from:

• 09.00 to 17.30 hours from Monday to Friday

It is best to go to the pharmacy nearest to your clinic. There is also a pharmacy patient helpline that you can contact with your medicine-related enquiries, Monday to Friday 09.30 to 17.00 hours, 020 8725 1033.

Places to eat

Refreshment

Please look at your appointment letter before having any refreshments. You might have instructions not to eat or drink anything before your appointment.

restaurant (Lanesborough Wing)

• location: first floor, Lanesborough Wing
• open: Monday to Sunday 07.30 to 19.45 hours
• sells: sandwiches, soup, snacks, fruit and drinks (hot and cold). Hot food available at the following times:
• breakfast: 07.30 to 11.00 hours
• lunch: 11.45 to 14.00 hours
• supper: 17.00 to 19.45 hours.

M&S café

• location: main entrance, Grosvenor Wing
• open: Monday to Friday 07.00 to 21.00 hours
• open: Saturday to Sunday 08.00 - 21.00 hours

Lanesborough Wing outpatient café

• location: ground floor, Lanesborough Wing
• open: Monday to Friday 08.00 to16.00 hours
• sells: sandwiches, snacks, fruit and drinks (hot and cold)

St James Wing outpatient café

• location: ground floor, St James Wing
• open: Monday to Friday 08.00 to 15.30 hours
• sells: sandwiches, snacks, fruit and drinks (hot and cold)

restaurant (Atkinson Morley Wing)

• location: lower ground floor, Atkinson Morley Wing
• open: Monday to Friday 08.00 to 15.30 hours
• sells: sandwiches, snacks, fruit and drinks (hot and cold). Hot food available at the following times:
• Breakfast: 08.00 to 11.00 hours
• Lunch: 11.45 to 14.00 hours.

Peabody’s

• location: ground floor Hunter Wing (St George’s University of London) and ground floor Atkinson Morley Wing
• sells: hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, snacks and fruit
• Hunter Wing open: Monday to Thursday 07.00 to 18.00 hours, Friday 07.00 to 17.00 hours
• Atkinson Morley Wing open: Monday to Friday 07.30 to 20.00 hours, Saturday 07.30 to 18.00 hours, Sunday 08.00 to 18.00 hours.

Safety information

Smoking is not permitted in any buildings or grounds owned by St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust.
If you want to try to stop smoking, please:

• speak to your nurse who will help you contact the NHS Smoking Helpline on 0800 022 4 332 or Quitline on 0800 00 22 00.
• visit the Health Information Centre (ground floor, Grosvenor Wing) for information about local stop smoking clinics.

If you hear a fire alarm, please follow the instructions of the staff. Green signs show the way to fire exits.

Mobile phones can interfere with sensitive equipment in some areas of the hospital – please look out for the signs. Please also be considerate and switch them off or on silent while you are in the clinics and wards. Please do not use camera phones in the hospital.

Aggression - we have a zero tolerance policy. This means that violence and aggression is not acceptable to patients, visitors or staff. Our staff should care for you without the fear of abuse or insult.

Consenting to treatment

We want to make sure that you fully understand your condition and the treatment choices available to you. Before you receive any treatment your doctor, nurse, therapist or pharmacist can help you:

• understand what the treatment is and how long you need to use it
• understand the benefits of the treatment
• manage any side effects
• talk about your worries about your treatment or medicines.

If you decide not to have a treatment or take a medicine, tell your doctor or pharmacist. They can support you and explain how this could affect you.

Treatment will not be carried out without your consent unless it is an emergency and you are unconscious.

Will any samples or specimens be taken from me?

Sometimes samples or specimens are taken from you during your treatment to help us understand your condition or plan your treatment. If you are not happy for these samples or specimens to be used for research purposes, then please make this clear to a doctor or nurse who is involved in your care.

Information about you

When you are a patient, we ask you for information so that you can receive appropriate care and treatment. We take the confidentiality of your information extremely seriously. If you want to know more about how we use your information, please look on our website at the address below or ask for a copy of Your Information – what you need to know

Can I have a copy of my medical letters?

Please ask your doctor, nurse or therapist if you would like a copy of your medical letters. To find out more, search ‘copying letters to patients’ at www.dh.gov.uk

Copyright ©2012 St George's Healthcare NHS Trust.