What to expect at your appointment

In this section:

• Waiting times at your appointment
• Who you will see
• Confidentiality
• Smoking
• Consenting to treatment
• Wifi

Waiting times at your appointment

We understand that your time is valuable; we always aim to run appointments smoothly and on time. Unfortunately, delays do sometimes happen. The patient before you might take longer than expected or a doctor might be called away on an emergency.

We work hard to keep appointments on time, but if there are any delays we will tell you.

Please leave at least two hours for your first appointment. This includes in-person clinic, telephone and video appointments. If you have a clinic appointment, you might need more time for tests or scans. You can find our guide for online video consultations here.

If you have tests or scans at your first appointment, we might be able to tell you about your results and potential treatment plan during the same visit. These appointments can take at least half a day.

Who you will see 

At your appointment, you will be seen by one of our team. Sometimes you are referred to see a specific consultant and see a different member of the team. This can include specialist registrars, clinical nurse specialists, or other qualified healthcare professionals who work closely with the consultant. Rest assured, all members of our team are experienced and committed to providing you with the highest standard of care.

If you feel strongly about seeing a female or male doctor or nurse, please tell us as soon as you can. We will try to find an appropriate member of our team. This might not always be possible because it depends on who is available at the time of your appointment.

Some of our hospitals are teaching hospitals. This means that doctors might be teaching medical students during their clinics. We will always tell you if there are medical students at your appointment.

You are always welcome to have a chaperone (someone to come to the appointment with you) for any intimate examinations you may have. Our staff will always wear their name badges and introduce themselves to you.

If you have any questions or concerns at all on the day of your appointment, please speak to us.

Confidentiality

Your information will be kept confidential.

We do provide details of your clinical care to your GP and where appropriate, other health and social care professionals who are supporting your care directly. This is to ensure your continued healthcare is safe and effective.

Sometimes we may use your information to help improve our services or to inform our research. In these instances, we will remove any details which would make it possible to identify you. Read more about research here.

Find out more about your health records and how we protect your information.

Smoking

Smoking or using e-cigarettes is not allowed inside our hospital grounds.

Consenting to treatment

We will ask you to sign a consent form before conducting any treatment. We will provide you with information in the consent form and offer you a copy, and we will discuss the choices of treatment with you. If you change your mind at any stage, you are entitled to withdraw consent, even after signing. Read more about consenting to treatment.

Wifi

We have upgraded our NHS Wi-Fi service to allow for video calls and entertainment streaming services free of charge. This has been funded by Imperial Health Charity. To connect to the network, search for ‘NHS Wi-Fi’ on your mobile phone or laptop device and sign up.

Further quick links

Patient information