Appointment by video

From early 2020 we began offering some appointments to our patients by video, using a system called NHS Attend Anywhere. Chesterfield Royal hospital was one of 10 pilot sites for using this in England.  The system is already used widely across NHS Scotland. As part of our response to COVID-19 and the success of the pilot, we are now working towards being able to offer this type of appointment to all patients (where it is both possible and appropriate).

Having a video appointment means you can have an outpatient appointment without the need to visit the hospital.  It works like a normal outpatient appointment, except you see and talk to your clinician ‘virtually’ via a live online video link. Video clinics give us a real opportunity to improve our services for our patients, reducing unnecessary travel and risks of delay due to weather or transport issues. Feedback from patients so far has been extremely positive – 92% reported their experience as being either ‘very good’ or ‘good.’

Which services offer video appointments and when can I have one?

In the future we aim to be able offer this type of appointment to all patients but at the moment, they are only available for some services – see the list of ‘live’ and ‘under development’ services.

Not all appointments are suitable to be done by video and you will be offered an appointment of this type:

•    Your clinician thinks you would benefit from it
•    You have told us you are happy to have a video appointment rather than come to the hospital
•    You have a booked video appointment

How will I know if I have a video appointment?

The appointment will have been arranged with you by either your clinician or a member of our admin team.  You will receive your appointment details either by letter or email, depending on how the appointment is arranged.

What equipment do I need?

You can access NHS Attend Anywhere via a page on the internet and the video call works in a similar way to other video calls such as FaceTime or Skype.

You will need a device which has a webcam, speakers and a microphone.  If you have a smartphone, tablet or laptop, it is likely that these will be built into the device.

How do I join my video appointment?

You will receive full instructions about this as part of your appointment details, as well as what to do if the video call doesn’t work.

Each clinic or service has its own virtual waiting area which is accessed via a page on the internet. Details of the web page for your appointment will be contained in your letter or email.   You will need to access the internet via either Google Chrome or Safari browser.

Before you enter the waiting area, you will be asked to provide some basic details about yourself – your name, date of birth and a contact number.  This is simply to ensure that your clinician can identify you and can also contact you by telephone if something goes wrong with the video call.

Once you’ve entered your details, click on the ‘Start video call’ button’ to enter the video waiting area.  This will take you through the video call set up process (testing your camera etc).

We advise that patients enter the waiting area approximately 5 to 10 minutes before their appointment time.  Once in the waiting area music will play and your clinician will know that you waiting.  You will also be able to see where you are in the queue (e.g. ‘you are first in the queue’).

After your appointment has ended the video link will stop and no data is stored by the system.

NHS Attend Anywhere – list of live and in development services

Live (i.e. offering video appointments)

•    Adult and Children’s (community and hospital) physiotherapy
•    Adult and Children’s Occupational Therapy
•    Adult and Children’s Speech and Language Therapy
•    Amputee physiotherapy
•    Antenatal and Obstetrics
•    CAMHS
•    Cardio-Respiratory
•    Community Paediatric nursing services
•    Dermatology
•    Head and Neck services
•    Maternity 
•    Movement Disorders
•    Neurological physiotherapy
•    Nutrition and Dietetics
•    Pain management
•    Palliative Care services (including Primary Investigation clinic)
•    Respiratory
•    Respiratory physiotherapy
•    Women’s and Men’s Health physiotherapy

In development (i.e. not yet offering video appointments but ‘coming soon’)

•    Audiology
•    Bowel Cancer screening service
•    Breast 
•    Child Health outpatient services
•    Colorectal nursing service
•    Critical Care follow-up
•    Diabetes
•    Haematology
•    Irritable Bowel disease nursing services
•    Pre-Operative Assessment
•    Same Day Emergency Care
•    Trauma and Orthopaedics
•    Upper GI nursing service
•    Urology