A young person’s guide to staying healthy between appointments

Last updated: 10/11/2024

A young person’s guide to staying healthy between appointments

This page has information on staying healthy and what to consider when you are expecting to attend hospital for an appointment or procedure. It has been co-created by our Youth Involvement Group and patient support team.

On this page you'll find advice on these frequently asked questions:

Who can I contact if I have questions?
What should I do if my health condition gets worse?
What support is available?
What can I do to try and stay healthy?
How do I rearrange or cancel my appointment?

Important information

If your symptoms get worse while you wait for an appointment, it’s important that you share how you’re feeling with a member of your family, a parent/carer, someone you trust or your GP. You can also contact NHS 111 for expert advice.

Your health condition is just one part of who you are and helping you to take part and enjoy what is important to you before and following an appointment or procedure is important.

Who can I contact with questions or if I need support?

Knowing who to contact and where to find information isn’t always easy. You can contact the hospital by emailing BCHinfo@UHBW.nhs.uk or phone 0117 342 8065 with any questions you have. If you already have contact with a healthcare team and are waiting for another appointment or procedure you might also be able to contact them directly.

It is important to contact the hospital or your GP if you are concerned that your condition is getting worse.

You might have questions around how your condition impacts on what you enjoy doing or other parts of your life. There is information on the hospitals young people’s pages about different health conditions and how they can impact you and where you can find condition specific support. You'll also find information about moving to adult services and how you can prepare if you have a long term condition.

If you would like to connect with like-minded people though our Youth Involvement Group you can email BCHinfo@UHBW.nhs.uk to make contact with the Young Persons Involvement Worker.

What can I do when things feel tough?

When you have a health condition or feel ill it can be tough in a number of ways. You might be in pain, feel discomfort, anxiety, anger or feel sad. It’s important not to ignore these feelings and the tough parts of being ill. Talking to a GP or health professional can be important to help with managing pain or how you are feeling. You can find more support and ideas at:

There’s lots of things you might feel uncertain about when waiting for an appointment, for example, what may be causing symptoms or what kind of treatment may be required. These are all understandable and perfectly normal responses to being unwell, especially when you have to wait. Finding support and ways to help you manage these feelings is important.

Life doesn’t stop when you have a health condition, but it can impact sometimes on school work or other interests. It’s important to talk to those around you if it’s causing worry. Your teachers, parents/carer and others may be able to help you manage your health and still continue enjoying other areas of your life.

What can I do to try and stay healthy?

Staying healthy includes not just physical health but also thinking about how to maintain positive mental health and staying connected with others. A good place to start can involve making healthy decisions about what you eat and drink, how active you are, and how much sleep you get. You should check these with your healthcare team, but some simple general tips to help stay healthy include:

Food and nutrition

Eating a regular variety of foods
Basing your diet on plenty of foods rich in carbohydrates
Replacing saturated with unsaturated fat
Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables
Reducing your salt and sugar intake
Drinking lots of fluids

Food and nutrition is individual. The NHS Eatwell Guide is a good starting point, and shows what balanced nutrition can look like. You might have dietary needs or restrictions such allergies or metabolic conditions that can impact this. Food and eating is a social activity and getting it right should be fun. Foods do not need to be viewed as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Restricting food is not necessary a good idea and everyone should have a balanced diet, which includes ‘treats’. Everything in moderation is a good motto to hold onto.

Staying active

Incorporating ways to be active everyday, such as walking to school, college, or to meet friends
Take part in exercise you enjoy, this could be as part of a group or team

Movement and exercise is individual just like food and nutrition. It is important to find ways to balance activity and rest and respond to any injuries or illness. Finding ways to stay active that you enjoy are important.

Connecting with others

Plan time to see friends or participate in activities you enjoy. This might be face to face or virtual depending on your health.
Talk to your healthcare team or GP about what is important to you. This can help them to know how to support you and help you feel more involved in decisions about your health. They can also help you think about talking to your friends about your condition.

It can sometimes be helpful to connect with others who have similar experiences. You can find out more about organisations that are able to provide support on the hospital young people’s webpages or get in contact with the Young Persons Involvement Worker by emailing BCHinfo@UHBW.nhs.uk.

Sleep and rest

Try to create a good sleep routine to improve falling asleep
Reduce or avoid caffeine and energy drinks
Avoid electronic devices before bed
Make sure your bedroom is quiet and the temperature and light is low

You can read more about sleep in our guide. We know that sleep helps to restore and repair our bodies. Hormones are released that support different bodily functions including growth, strength, and other aspects of our physical development, it also helps strengthen our immune systems. It’s not only important for physical health but helps our memory, concentration and focus and helps us regulate our emotions. A consistent routine around sleep and not staying up too late is important in lots of different ways and has a bigger impact on our physical health and emotions that we often realise.

Confidentiality and consent

Confidentiality means that anyone who is involved in your healthcare has to keep information private, this might be anything you say, or is written, or details of treatment you’ve had. Information might be shared with other healthcare workers to help make your care safer and faster but only information that is needed to do so. They may have to share information if they think you are at risk of serious harm or danger, but should tell you if they are going to do this and explain who and why they need to share the information.

You can talk to your GP or healthcare team about any personal topics including, anxiety, relationships and sex and drugs and alcohol use. If you don’t want information to be shared with others you can talk to your healthcare worker about this.

Consent means that you have to agree before someone can examine or treat you. You can read more about consent here. You can give consent if you understand what is involved and are able to decide things for yourself. You can ask questions and might want to know:

Why you are being examined or what the treatment will do
What will happen and are there any risks
Other treatment options

Some decisions aren’t easy and so it can help to talk to parents/carers and others to help you. You can ask for more time to make decisions and are able to change your mind, but it can be helpful to know what will happen if you do.

Your parent/carers may also be asked to give their consent if you aren’t able to, and in an emergency, doctors can treat you without consent if treatment will save your life or prevent you from becoming more ill.

Waiting for an appointment FAQs

Why are there delays to my appointment? +

The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has had a big impact on our hospitals, meaning that some of our patients are waiting longer than we’d like for an appointment, procedure or surgery. We are working hard to reduce our waiting lists, but we continue to face challenges from high levels of demand on our services.

How long will I have to wait for my appointment? +

All patients waiting for a routine operation or treatment are prioritised according to their clinical priority. The most urgent cases will be seen first. Due to the nature of the current situation, we can’t be certain how long people will have to wait for non-urgent operations. For routine care, many patients may have to wait longer than 12 months, particularly if they require a routine procedure.

What patient support is available while I wait? +

We have a Patient Advice and Liaison Service at Weston General Hospital and a Patient Support and Complaints team in Bristol who both provide support and advice for patients. Here’s how to get in touch,

Call the Patient Support and Complaints team for our Bristol hospitals on 0117 342 1050 or email psct@uhbw.nhs.uk.

Call the Patient Advice and Liaison Service for Weston General Hospital on 01934 647216 or email PALSWeston@uhbw.nhs.uk.

To search for organisations, support groups, community groups, events and activities that can help improve your health and wellbeing in Bristol and South Gloucestershire, visit the Well Aware website.

For support and advice while waiting for appointments at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, please call our LIAISE Family Support team on 01173 428065 or email bchinfo@uhbw.nhs.uk

What support is available for carers? +

Help, support and advice is available for carers through their hospital journey as a carer and/or patient. Here’s how to get in touch,

Contact the UHBW Carers Liaison team by emailing carersliaison@uhbw.nhs.uk.

Contact the Carers Support Centre for Bristol and South Gloucestershire on 0117 965 2200, or for more information visit their website www.carerssupportcentre.org.uk.

For North Somerset, contact Alliance Homes Carers Support team by calling 03000 120 120 and choose option 3. Find out more about the support they offer on the Alliance Homes website.

What should I do if my health condition gets worse? +

If your symptoms get worse while you wait for an appointment, you should contact your GP who can assess your condition, and if necessary, arrange further tests or get advice from a specialist. You can also contact NHS 111 for advice.

How do I rearrange or cancel my appointment/treatment? +

Please let us know if you need to change or cancel your appointment by getting in touch using the contact details at the top of your appointment letter. You can access our online outpatient’s appointment cancellation and rescheduling form on our website.

AccessAble guides to our hospitals

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust has worked with AccessAble to create detailed access guides to facilities, wards, and departments at our hospital sites.

The guides help patients and visitors plan their journeys to and around the hospitals, covering everything from parking facilities and hearing loops, to walking distances and accessible toilets.

We know everyone's accessibility needs are different, which is why having detailed, accurate information is so important. All of the details you'll find in the guide have been checked in person, on site, by trained surveyors.

View the University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust's Accessibility Guide.