Q. How do I book an appointment to see a specialist at the Outpatient Department?
A. If your doctor has referred you for a specialist consultation at the Outpatient Department, under our system we will receive the referral from the doctor into our Patient Contact Center. A representative from the Patient Contact Center will then call you to arrange an appointment. You do not need to visit the hospital to make an appointment.
Q. What do I need to bring with me to my appointment?
A. If you are a new patient you need to bring your copy of your referral form, your health card, a vaccination card for a child, fees for your appointment and a list of any questions you might have. If you are coming for a follow-up appointment, you don’t need to bring the referral form again - just your appointment card.
Q. Will I be reminded about my appointment?
A. Three days before your appointment you will receive a phone call from our Patient Contact Center to remind you of your appointment. On the day before your appointment you will receive an SMS as another reminder.
Q. Do I need to call or visit the hospital to make an appointment?
A. You don’t need to visit the hospital to make an appointment; you just need to wait for a phone call from our Patient Contact Center once you have been referred to the Outpatient Department.
Q. What if I can’t make my appointment?
A. If you can’t keep your appointment for any reason you need to call the Patient Contact Center on 4439 5777 so we can rearrange your appointment and ensure your original appointment time is given to another patient. You can also rearrange your appointment when the Patient Contact Center call you to remind you of your appointment three days before.
Q. Do I need to arrive before my appointment?
A. You should arrive 30 minutes before your appointment time.
Q. What happens if I am late for my appointment?
A. If you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment you may not be seen and your appointment will need to be rearranged for another time. This is because each patient’s appointment time is protected and it is important we do not have clinics that run late, for the benefit of all the patients attending the clinic.
Q. I already have an appointment booked for later in the year. How do the changes affect me?
A. If you have an appointment booked already, please call our Patient Contact Center on 4439 5777 to find out how the changes affect you.
