When the hospital has received your referral, it will be reviewed by a clinician. We will send you an appointment as soon as one is available.

We see people based on how urgent their needs are, and how long they have been waiting.

You can find out more about waiting times for appointments at UHBW on these websites:

• Healthier Together has information about waiting times for hospitals in our local area.
• NHS My Planned Care has information about average waiting times for hospitals across the country.  

Please be aware that your waiting time may differ from the information on these websites.

While waiting for your appointment, there are some simple things you can do to improve your health and wellbeing.

The NHS Live Well website has information about healthy living, including eating a balanced diet, healthy weight, exercise, quitting smoking and drinking less alcohol.

The NHS Every Mind Matters website has information about feeling low, anxious or overwhelmed.

We also have information and support on anxiety, insomnia, stress, feeling low,  coping with persistent pain and a young person's guide to staying healthy while waiting for an appointment or procedure.

If your symptoms get worse while you wait for an appointment, you should contact your GP practice. You can also contact NHS 111 for advice.

We will send you a letter with your appointment date, time and location. The letter will also include a contact number for any questions you have.

We will send you a link by text or email to access the letter. This is through our website called DrDoctor. This is a safe and secure NHS service.

To access your letter, you will need to provide your last name, date or birth and postcode for security.

You can view the letters anytime on the website or download them on your phone or computer.

Don’t worry, if you don’t view your letter online, we will send it to you in the post.

We can also send letters in formats like Braille or in many other languages. Let us know if you have any additional needs using the phone number or email address on your letter.

We will confirm and remind you about your appointment by text and email.

If you would rather not receive these messages, you can tell us by emailing or calling the number on your appointment letter.

The NHS App gives you a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services. You can use the NHS App to view your GP appointments, prescriptions and hospital appointments.

The NHS App can be downloaded on your smartphone or tablet via the Google Play or App Store. You can also access the same services in a web browser by logging in through the NHS website.

If you can’t attend or need to change your appointment, please let us know as soon as possible.

You can let us know by using:

You may have a face-to-face or virtual appointment by phone or video.

For a phone appointment, the clinician will call your landline or mobile. Make sure these lines are free during your appointment time.

For a video appointment, we will send you login details for the DrDoctor website. Make sure your computer or laptop is charged and working.

You may want to start thinking about the questions you would like to ask the clinician at your appointment.

There may be choices to make about your health and care. It is important that you feel supported in making decisions. The NHS recommends that patients Ask Three Questions:

1. What are my choices?
2. What are the pros and cons of each option for me?
3. How do I get support to help me make a decision that is right for me?

It is helpful to write down any additional questions you want to ask.

There may be other things to prepare too. Your appointment letter may ask you to bring things like a list of medications or recent letters from your GP or district nurse.

Yes, you can bring people to the appointment with you.

We can arrange an interpreter for patients who need help communicating. Let us know if you need any help using the phone number or email address on your letter.