Outpatients

Arriving for your appointment

Please ensure that you book in with the clinic receptionist on arrival.  Let them know, or speak to a member of staff, if you or the person you are supporting needs help with communicating e.g. due to hearing or speech impairment, dementia, learning disabilities, etc. There is more information in the Appointments section.

Waiting times

Patients are seen according to appointment times and not in order of arrival. We do our best to ensure that our clinics run to time, but there will be occasional delays. Staff will advise you if they occur. Please ask for one of our “walk and wait” pagers if you want to temporarily leave the department.

Prescriptions

Outpatient prescriptions should be taken to Rowlands Pharmacy at the main entrance to the hospital.

The charges made for medicines are displayed in the pharmacy waiting areas and you will have to pay for each individual item. You are exempt from paying if you are under 16 or in full-time education up to the age of 18 or if you are 60 or over. No charge is made to patients who hold exemption certificates.

You may wait for your prescription to be dispensed at Southport hospital but a delivery service to your local Rowlands pharmacy or your home is also available to hospital patients.

Your hospital doctor will not issue a prescription for medicines you already take. These should continue to be prescribed by your GP.

Outpatient Appointments

• Video appointments

  Your doctor may offer an alternative to an in-person, face-to-face outpatient appointment such as telephone or video consultation.

  Infection control guidelines recommend that if you have been offered this option and have the ability and technology to do the appointment this way, then this is preferable to a face-to-face appointment. If this cannot be done, then an alternative appointment will be arranged.

  We advise you dial in 10 minutes before a video appointment to test your connection. Test yours using this link.

• Appointments in person

  Appointments in person will be made where it is clinically necessary or where no alternative is available. Call to make, cancel, check or rebook a appointment:

  • New appointments 01695 656865
  • Antenatal appointments 01695 656924
  • Endoscopy appointments 01695 656455 / 656480/ 656487
  • Physiotherapy appointments 01704 704962
  • X-ray appointments 01704 704105 (1pm to 7pm)
  • All other follow-up appointments 01695 656680

   

  Please call to rearrange your appointment if you have symptoms of Covid-19 or are in isolation due to contact with somebody who has had symptoms.

• On the day of your appointment
  • If you are travelling by your own transport and arrive early for your appointment, please stay in your car until 5 minutes before your appointment time
  • For all other forms of transport please arrive at the Outpatient department no more than 5 minutes before your appointment time
  • Please wear a face covering on arrival at the hospital, surgical masks and hand gel will also be supplied at the main entrances to the hospital
  • Please avoid bringing relatives with you as our waiting rooms are small and we want to observe social distancing.  If a support person is absolutely necessary, please advise us in advance on the phone numbers listed
  • Please observe the seating allocations when in the waiting rooms
  • Please observe the 2 metre social distance measures at all times
  • Please follow the markings on the floor identified through the corridors and lifts and notices within stairways
• After your appointment
  • Once you are ready to be discharged we ask you that you arrange to be collected by a member of your household as soon as possible.  If you are being collected by a volunteer we advise for you to wear a mask and sit in the back seat of the vehicle
  • If required we will contact you with a further outpatient appointment

   

  There are general principles you should follow to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

  • Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use a hand sanitiser, you should do this after you blow your nose, sneeze or cough, or after you eat or handle food
  • Avoid touching your eyes nose and mouth with your hands, this includes whilst wearing a mask
  • Avoid close contact with people who have symptoms
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the bin
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces within the home