Your appointment
Your outpatient appointment will be held in one of our clinics with a clinical specialist.
Your appointment letter, which you will receive on the NHS App or by post, will give you all the information you need, including who you will be seeing and where. Please arrive 10 minutes before your appointment time. We try to see everyone as soon as possible, but clinic staff will advise you of any known delays.
Please allow plenty of time to travel and find your clinic. For directions and facilities information, visit our hospitals page. Our helpful reception desk will be able to direct you when you arrive.
We also offer text message reminders for your appointments. Contact the Appointments Office on 01623 672383 or email sfh-tr.booking@nhs.net to enable your details to be updated.
Changing or cancelling your outpatient appointment
If you are unable to attend your appointment please let us know as soon as possible so we can make alternative arrangements for you, and offer your original appointment to another patient.
To cancel or change your appointment call 01623 672383 or email sfh-tr.booking@nhs.net.
Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, and Saturdays, 8am to 2pm.
If you are unable to attend your appointment and do not let us know, unfortunately we will need to discharge you from our care. This means that you will need to go back to your GP if you require another appointment.
Before your appointment
There are a few items we suggest you bring with you:
- Your appointment letter or appointment card.
- Your personal details, including address and your GP's address.
- Details of your medical history, including any medicines and allergy treatments, and what you're taking them for. This includes anything prescribed by your GP and any medicines bought over the counter.
- A pen and paper in case you would like to take notes.
- Any questions you may like to ask.
When you arrive
We ask patients to attend their appointment alone, but should you feel you need support, we ask that this is restricted to one adult. If the department reaches maximum capacity, we may ask those accompanying patients to wait outside of the department.
Reception staff will check you in and update any of your personal details with you. We may ask you for your email address as some services are moving to a digital way of sharing information about your ongoing care.
Please let the nursing staff know if you wish to be accompanied by a friend or relative when seeing the clinician. If you are to undergo an intimate examination and you require a chaperone, please discuss this with the nursing staff.
Medical and nursing students sometimes receive valuable training in outpatient clinics. If you would prefer students not to be present then please let a member of staff know. Nobody will mind, and your treatment will not be affected.
Please be kind, we are here to help you
All forms of abuse, violence and discrimination against our staff will not be tolerated. We can ask you to leave and refuse treatment.
Before you leave
Please allow extra time at the hospital as you may need to visit other departments for tests or advice, such as blood tests, x-ray or physiotherapy.
If your doctor decides that you require a day case procedure, then you may be asked to attend for a pre-operative assessment as part of your clinic attendance.
The doctor will advise you if you need to make a further appointment at the reception desk. The clinic nurse may also give you further advice.
Blood tests
You may need to go for a blood test following your appointment. You can go to the blood tests clinic, or book an appointment online.
Blood tests must be booked in advance if attending Newark Hospital. Blood tests at King's Mill Hospital can be booked in advance or you can drop-in at the clinic; we advise booking to avoid a wait.
You will need a referral from your General Practice (GP) or hospital team before you can book your blood test.
Prescriptions
If the doctor gives you a green prescription, please take it to your local community pharmacy for dispensing. At King's Mill Hospital, pink and white prescriptions must be dispensed from the hospital pharmacy department.
