Due to increased waiting times for outpatient appointments, GPs have seen a rise in patient requests to “expedite” their appointments.
As a GP surgery, we are not notified of any waiting times for clinics. If your appointment has been delayed, please contact your consultant secretary for any updates. If you are waiting for your first appointment with a consultant and have not heard for a long time, please contact the outpatient department in the first instance and then the consultant’s secretary.
If you have been unable to contact outpatients or the secretary, please contact PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)
What is PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)? – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
When patients contact the hospital, they are sometimes told to ask their GP for an ‘expedite letter’. This is frustrating for you and for us, and we cannot guarantee that this will result in your appointment being brought forward.
Only the hospital can compare your needs with those of other patients on their waiting list and they will action your request accordingly.
If you want to inform a hospital of a change in your symptoms, you may use the templates below when contacting the hospital – please use copy and paste. One is for patients waiting for a first appointment with a specialist, the second is for patients waiting for a follow-up appointment, treatment, or operation. You should post or email your letter to either Outpatient Appointments (for first appointments) or your consultant’s secretary (for follow-up care)
Letter for a first appointment with a specialist:
Dear Consultant,
I am awaiting care from you for <Write your original problem here>. I have been referred by my GP at the Burney Street Practice.
I await an appointment and / or treatment but report the following change in my condition since my referral was sent to you:
<Explain briefly what has changed since your referral>
I request that you take the following action
- Review my hospital notes alongside this letter to determine whether my care might be expedited
- Contact me directly to inform me of the outcome of that decision, and my likely wait for further care
- File this letter and document your decision in my medical record.
Yours faithfully
<enter your name>
Letter for a for a follow-up appointment:
Dear Consultant,
I am receiving care from you for <Write your original problem here>.
I await a follow-up appointment and / or treatment but report the following change in my condition since your last contact with me:
<Explain briefly what has changed since your last contact with the specialist>
I request that you take the following action:
- Review my hospital notes alongside this letter to determine whether my care might be expedited
- Contact me directly to inform me of the outcome of that decision, and me likely wait for further care
- File this letter and document your decision in my medical record.
Yours faithfully
<enter your name