Outpatient appointments

After being referred, you will receive a letter from the outpatient department you are attending with details of your appointment time and date.

On the day of your appointment, go to the reception area of the appropriate outpatient department, as indicated in your appointment letter.

We advise all patients to arrive at least 15 minutes before the appointment.

You will receive a confirmation letter or phone call before your visit with detailed instructions on what to bring.

To ensure your appointment runs smoothly and with as little delay as possible, bring items relevant to your condition (where applicable), including:

• x-rays
• test results
• forms sent for you to complete before your appointment
• other relevant paperwork such as Advance Care Directive, Anticipatory Directives, Enduring Power of Guardianship, Medical Power of Attorney, Guardianship Board Order, Statement of Choices, Facility Form or Good Palliative Care Plan/Order, Ulysses Agreement.

Due to the equipment used in the outpatient department, we recommended patients attending with children supervise them at all times. We also recommended that patients limit the number of support people who attend their appointments due to limited space in consulting rooms and waiting areas.

In the event of a delay to your scheduled appointment time, we recommend that you bring food, water, and any required medications, particularly if you have dietary restrictions, to reduce the impact of the delay. Food and drink options are also available on-site at TQEH.

If you have been specifically requested to have certain tests before attending your outpatient appointment, ensure these have been completed at least a week prior to your scheduled appointment.

If you have received test results or x-rays that relevant to your condition, bring them to your outpatient appointment.

Phone the outpatient department directly if you need to change or cancel your outpatient appointment.

Be aware that if you require a change to your outpatient appointment time, due to high demand for many outpatient clinics, there may be a delay in re-scheduling to the next available appointment If you need to cancel your appointment, whether because your condition has resolved or you are receiving treatment elsewhere, let us know as soon as possible so your appointment time can be given to another patient.