About your appointment

The date and time of your appointment are shown on the enclosed card or letter. Please bring it with you and go to the out-patient clinic/ department shown.

If the appointment day or time does not suit you:
please contact us as soon as possible. You can either telephone the number shown on your appointment card/letter, or write to the Medical Records Officer at the hospital. This allows us to offer you another appointment.

If you feel that you no longer need to attend please contact us as soon as possible. You can either telephone the number shown on your appointment card/letter, or write to the Medical Records Officer at the hospital. This allows us to offer your appointment to another person. Please also contact your GP.

If you cannot attend on the day or you forget to attend: please telephone us as soon as possible so we can arrange another appointment for you.

If we have to cancel your appointment, we will offer you the next available appointment. We may also offer you an appointment at short notice if one becomes available.

If you don’t attend your appointment without letting us know then you may have to visit your GP to ask him to arrange another appointment.

Smoking Policy - Buildings and Grounds

It is against the law (Smoking Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005) for anyone to smoke within NHS Tayside buildings (exemptions exist for patients in residential psychiatric units and adult hospices).

All NHS buildings and grounds at the NW site are smoke-free. Out-patients, visitors, staff, contractors, students etc. must leave the grounds to smoke. It is not permitted to smoke within vehicles parked on site.

Only hospital in-patients can smoke in designated external smoking areas only. No one, other than in-patients, is allowed to smoke here.

Anyone wishing to stop smoking can contact the Tayside Smokeline for help 0845 600 999 6.

For more information, please see the NHS Tayside Smoking policy.

If an ambulance has been arranged to bring you to hospital for your first out-patient appointment but you cannot attend, please notify the Ambulance Service as soon as possible

The telephone number is (01382) 832409.

This is important as failure to cancel an ambulance may delay an important journey for someone else.

Your appointment card or letter

Any items detailed on your appointment card or letter, e.g. urine sample, current medicines, etc.

If you wish you may ask a relative or friend to come with you to your out-patient appointment.

Location & Transport

There are details at the end of this page on how to get to the hospital by public or private transport.

If your family doctor feels that you need hospital transport to get to the hospital, they will arrange an ambulance or hospital car for you.

Parking

Car parking facilities are available within the grounds of the hospital. Where possible, we have taken every opportunity to provide parking for the disabled.

Your co-operation is requested to ensure that the entrances to wards and departments are kept clear for emergency vehicles.
Please remember, cars are parked in NHS Tayside grounds at your own risk.

Travel/ Health Costs

If you receive certain Social Security Benefits, you may be entitled to assistance with hospital travel costs and other health costs, e.g. for surgical appliances. Please bring details and any books/documents relating to the benefits you receive when you attend your appointment. Staff can give you more information if required.

Special Needs

Most entrances to the hospital have ramps and wheelchairs are available if required. There are lifts to all patient areas, if needed.

Access is permitted for guide dogs, hearing dogs, etc. If you have any special needs or requirements, please make staff aware of these and they will give every assistance possible.

Assistance with Communication

If you have difficulty in speaking English please bring a relative or friend to the hospital with you. They can then help to explain things to staff. When there are very difficult communication problems, staff can arrange for an interpreter to come to the hospital.

Please make staff aware of any communication difficulties you have and usual methods of communicating, e.g. British Sign Language, or other aids used.

Please go to the appointment area shown on your card or letter. When you arrive at the out-patient department, the receptionist will check your details and direct you to the waiting area. A nurse may then carry out some checks or tests if required, e.g. check your weight and height.

Hospital Staff

You will meet a number of different staff during your out-patient appointment. All staff wear a badge showing their name and job title. However, if you are in any doubt as to a person's identity, please ask to be introduced.

The Consultant directs your medical care, assisted by a team of doctors and other specialists. You will also meet other staff during your visit. These may include Receptionists, Nursing Staff, Radiographers and Laboratory Staff.

Please let us know how you would prefer to be addressed by all staff involved in your care

Clinical Teaching

NHS Tayside is a recognised centre of undergraduate and post-graduate teaching. On occasions there will be students attached to the clinical team as part of their training. They may ask you if one of the students can participate in your care.

We appreciate your co-operation in helping us train future doctors and health professionals, however please let us know if you would rather not have a student in attendance. We will respect your wishes at all times.

The appointment system does not stop all waiting. Some consultations take longer than others and this can affect the timing of following appointments. Delays do occur, but when this happens, staff will keep you informed of the reasons for the delay.

If medical staff are called to an emergency or there is a delay in appointment times then we may offer you the opportunity to re-arrange your appointment.

The doctor may tell you that you need to come back to the out-patient clinic. If so, please make sure that you arrange your next appointment with staff at the reception desk before you leave.

The NHS Helpline is a telephone enquiry service, providing basic information on various aspects of health service provision, operated on behalf of the Management Executive of the National Health Service in Scotland.

The contact number is Freephone 0800 22 44 88, operating from 9.00 a.m. - 8.00 p.m. Monday to Friday, except for national holidays, with an answering machine to take calls at other times.

Fife Scottish Omnibuses Ltd, St Andrews 01334 - 474238
Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd, Perth 0990 - 505050
Stagecoach Buses, Perth 01738 - 629339
Strathtay Scottish Omnibuses Ltd
Arbroath 01241 - 870646
Blairgowrie 01250 - 872772
Dundee 01382 - 228054
Forfar 01307 - 466144
Montrose 01674 - 672855
Travel Dundee 01382 - 201121