When the hospital has received your child’s 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.

We know waiting for your child's appointment can be a stressful time. Please view our page for tips to help your child stay healthy both physically and mentally whilst waiting.

If the 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 the 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 the last name, date of 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 the 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.

As a parent, family member, or carer you can add a child to your NHS app. This is sometimes called having a linked profile or having proxy access. It needs to be set up at the GP surgery where you and the child are registered. You can then use the NHS app to view your child’s appointments and get notifications and reminders.

Learn more about adding your child to your NHS app.

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 the 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 the appointment.

There may be choices to make about your child's 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. The appointment letter may ask you to bring things like a list of medications or recent letters from your GP or district nurse.

If your child is under 5, please bring their personal child health record (red book) to the appointment as it contains important health information.