Outpatients appointment

Please contact the appointments line on 020 3965 6556 if:

• You are unable to attend. The demand for appointments is very high, and we may be able to offer your appointment to someone else.
• If you need an interpreter for your appointment.
• If you need a letter for your child’s school so they are authorised to be absent – many of our appointments take place during school hours.

The appointments line is open between 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Please bring the following to your appointment:

• Drinks and snacks for while you wait.
• Something to keep you and your child occupied.

You should also bring:

• A list of all the medications your child is taking.
• Enough nappies or pads for your visit.
• Their Child Health Record (‘red book’) or equivalent.

Some people also find it helpful to bring a list of the questions they’d like to ask, so they don’t forget anything important.

Please see our travelling to GOSH page for details about congestion and other charges as well as information about parking. The best way to travel to GOSH is by public transport.

Please do not attend the hospital if you are unwell on the day of your appointment. If you are unsure if you should attend or not, then please contact your clinical team for advice.

Please arrive no earlier than 15 to 20 minutes before your appointment – if you come too early, we may ask you to wait outside the hospital, so our waiting areas don’t get too crowded.

If you are late, we may not be able to see your child and may need to reschedule your appointment.

• We will weigh and measure your child.
• We may also carry out other checks or ask for a urine sample.

The appointment letter usually gives the name of the consultant caring for your child.

Our consultants work in teams with other doctors, called registrars or specialist registrars.

You may not always be seen by the consultant - you may be seen by a registrar or specialist registrar instead. However, our consultants are kept fully informed of the results of appointments and tests.

If the doctor needs to examine your child, they will ask your child to lie on a bed that has curtains around it.

You can stay with your child during any examinations.

You can also ask for a chaperone – this will be a professional of the same sex as your child. If you would like a chaperone, please ask us about this when you check in at reception.

If your child needs additional tests or scans, we will try to organise these for the same day to save you another journey. However, there may be some occasions where this is not possible – we will tell you if this is the case.

The doctor may decide that:

• Your child needs another outpatient appointment – this is often called a ‘follow up’ appointment and may not be for the same length of time as the first appointment. When they schedule the follow up appointment for will depend on your child’s needs and circumstances.
• Your child needs an inpatient admission (including an overnight stay) or a day case admission (just for the day).
• Your child’s care can be continued at your local hospital, so they can be ‘discharged’ from GOSH.

Your feedback is really important to us. We would like to know how your experience was – from having your appointment booked, through to your consultation.

You can fill in our online form or complete a feedback card.

You can also respond to the feedback invitation in your MyGOSH account.

If you have any questions, please call the appointments line between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Telephone: 0203 965 6556