Due to increased waiting times for outpatient appointments and hospital procedures, GPs have seen a rise in patient requests to “expedite” their appointments. We urge all our patients awaiting hospital appointments to be patient and wait to be contacted.
All referrals to secondary care (hospitals) are assessed by the relevant consultant team. The practice has no influence as to when the consultants allocate their appointments, which they do based on the clinical need.
If you feel your appointment has been unduly delayed, please contact your hospital consultant’s 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 hospital’s outpatient booking office through the hospital switchboard in the first instance and then the consultant’s secretary.
If you have been unable to contact outpatients or the secretary, please contact the hospital PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) – contact details can be found on the hospital website.
Patients are often requested by the Hospital to obtain a letter from the GP so their appointment can be expedited. Please note that waiting a longer time for an appointment does not deem your request urgent. As a result, we are unable to write letters to expedite your appointment.
If you are experiencing worsening of your symptoms, we advise you to contact your specialist directly so they can assess your condition and make the necessary arrangements if an “expedite” of your appointment is appropriate. If you have difficulty in accessing your consultant, we advise you to contact the hospital PALS department for assistance.
However, if the hospital is insistent that they require a letter, please download and use the templates below. Letters to expedite are generally best written from the patients’ perspective.