Special arrangements
Please contact the Referral Management Service as soon as possible if you need us to arrange support for your appointment.
This might be:
- A language interpreter, or someone to sign if you are deaf.
- Assistance if you are visually impaired.
- Lifting equipment if you have difficulty standing, or transferring from a wheelchair.
Guide and hearing dogs are permitted within the outpatient department.
You can help by:
- Attending your agreed appointment. If you can’t attend; or, if you are going to be unavailable for a period of time, you should contact us as detailed in your appointment letter.
- Following any instructions to prepare for your appointment as detailed in your letter.
- Please bring the letter or card with you.
What happens if you refuse an appointment offer?
If you refuse two reasonable offers of appointment, you may be removed from the waiting list and referred back to your referring clinician. If this is not deemed appropriate by a clinician, you may have your waiting time clock reset to zero, which means you will be put to the back of the waiting list.
What happens if I cancel my appointment?
If you cancel three agreed appointments, you may be removed from the waiting list and referred back to your referring clinician. If this is not deemed appropriate by a clinician, you may have your waiting time clock reset to zero, which means you will be put to the back of the waiting list.
What happens if I do not attend my agreed appointment?
If you do not attend an agreed appointment and have not given us notice of this, you may be removed from the waiting list and referred back to your referring clinician. If this is not deemed appropriate by a clinician, you may have your waiting time clock reset to zero, which means you will be put to the back of the waiting list.
Travel information
Full details of the public transport services can be obtained from Traveline on 0871 200 22 33 or www.travelinescotland.com.
Disabled parking facilities are available at all NHS Ayrshire and Arran Hospitals.
Your appointment
Please arrive at the department on time for your appointment so that you can book in. If you need to have tests such as an x-ray, you may need to go to other departments before or after seeing the clinician. If this is the case, your clinic visit may take longer.
On arrival in the department you may be approached by nursing or administrative staff to as questions.
Please be aware that it is an offence to smoke within 15 metres of a hospital building. In accordance with Scottish Government guidance, smoking or vaping is not permitted on NHS Ayrshire & Arran grounds. Your cooperation is essential in maintaining a healthy environment for all.
After your appointment
If the clinician asks you to make another appointment, please arrange this with the receptionist before you leave the department. Your GP will receive a letter about your outpatient visit. In some instances the letter may not be sent until investigations have been carried out and the results received. In some instances the clinician may write directly to you advising of findings and next steps or may send a copy of the letter that has been sent to your GP.
Please tell us how your appointment or visit went. What was good? What could have been better? Everything you tell us will help to make our services even better. Go online at www.patientopinion.org.uk or call 0800 122 31 35 to tell us what you think and see what others are saying too.
Expenses
If you think you may be entitled to travel expenses, please go to the hospital cashier at University Hospital Crosshouse or University Hospital Ayr. Take any relevant benefit documents with you, along with
your travel tickets.
If your appointment is out with the hours the cashier’s office is open or at acute clinics that are held at other sites where no cashier function is provided, you can fill out an HC5 NHS Scotland Refund Claim Form. The receptionist at the clinic will be able to provide you with this form.
Questions
We encourage you to ask questions about your condition, your treatment and care options.
Scottish Health Research Register
You can help in the development of new treatments for disease by joining SHARE – The Scottish Health Research Register & Biobank. SHARE is a register of people aged 11+ who are willing to be invited to take part in research, like completing a lifestyle questionnaire or testing a new treatment for a condition you may have. Help make a difference and sign up today