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When coming to our hospital for your outpatient appointment with one of our specialists, you’ll visit one of our clinic suites.
Your appointment letter will tell you which service you’ll be seeing and where you’ll need to go. Please make sure you arrive no more than 10 minutes before your appointment time.
We’ll do our best to see you as soon as possible, but delays are sometimes unavoidable. We'll tell you if there's likely to be a wait.
At your appointment, you’ll see the consultant or a member of their team. If you have any questions or concerns, please ask during your appointment.
At Chesterfield Royal Hospital we have 10 Outpatient Departments which includes General Surgery, Urology, Cardiorespiratory and Orthopaedics. We also have our Eye Clinic, located next to our Maternity and Birthing suites. Your appointment letter will tell you which clinic to attend.
Please do let us know if you are unable to attend your appointment - this could free up a slot for someone else. You can confirm, change or cancel your appointment by contacting our Outpatients appointment helpline which is open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays).
To contact us regarding your appointment, call: 01246 516 090 or email crhft.
Please bring the following with you on the day of your appointment – to help our staff help you:
- Your appointment letter (if you have one)
- Your personal details – such as your address, postcode and a contact number
- Your “home” address if it is different to where you currently live
- Your GP surgery’s address and telephone number
- Any relevant medication you may be taking
- Proof that you do not have to pay prescription charges, if applicable
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Any other information or task requested in your appointment letter
We advise you not to bring any items of sentimental or financial value into hospital when attending your appointment. We cannot be held responsible for any property that is lost in our hospital.
Our page on how to get here provides information on travelling to the hospital via car and public transport. It also provides a map of the hospital site and information on getting around the hospital.
Our page on car parking at the hospital provides information on parking, parking charges and free parking for disabled visitors.
Most of our Outpatient Suites can be accessed from the hospital’s main reception. The Eye Clinic and our newly built Paediatric Assessment Unit can be accessed from the main hospital entrance or by parking in Car Park 5.
See our 'How to Get Here' page for more information.
During your outpatient appointment, your healthcare professional will advise you on the next steps of your treatment.
In some of our clinics, we are offering a different way of arranging outpatient appointments called patient-initiated follow-ups (PIFU).
Regular follow-up appointments are usually arranged by the hospital at set intervals, for example, every six months or every year. Some patients find these regular visits useful and reassuring. For others, it can be frustrating or stressful coming to hospital if they don’t feel they need to. You may be able to arrange an appointment for yourself based on your individual symptoms and receive guidance when you need it.
Through your patient-initiated follow-up plan, you can arrange follow-up appointments with your hospital care team when you feel you need them, or if your symptoms get worse. This puts you in control of your follow-up appointments and gives you access to support and guidance when you need it most.
Patient-Initiated Follow-Up, or PIFU, gives you the choice to schedule an appointment when you need it, which helps you avoid making unnecessary hospital visits while you're feeling well.
This gives you (or your carer) the choice to decide when you require a follow-up visit, such as if your symptoms worsen or change.
Benefits for patients
- PIFU gives you the choice to choose to attend appointments only when required.
- It helps you take charge of your own healthcare.
- Avoid unnecessary trips to the hospital, saving you money and time.
There are two different pathways:
End PIFU
End PIFU is for patients who are close to discharge from hospital services. You can make further appointments over the phone or face to face only when and if you need it. This is usually within a specific time frame, for example six months. This reduces any unnecessary anxiety, travel and time spent waiting for a routine follow-up appointment.
Mid PIFU
Mid PIFU is suitable for patients who cannot be discharged from hospital services, typically for long-term conditions. It gives you the choice of obtaining advice from your clinical team if you experience a flare up or wish to book an appointment. Some clinics may send you a health-based questionnaire at intervals according to your clinical need. This allows your clinician to evaluate your condition.
• If your condition isn’t stable, or you feel you need to speak to us, we’ll book you an appointment.
• If your condition is stable, we will contact you to confirm you do not need an appointment.
Your next appointment with the hospital could be by phone, video, or face to face. Depending on your condition please discuss with your clinician options that are suitable for you.
If you would like to know if your condition can be managed in this way and if you feel you would benefit from switching to a PIFU appointment, ask your clinician today.
The animation was developed by Humber& North Yorkshire ICB
NHS England: Find out more about Patient-Initiated Follow-Up Appointments.
