1. Your appointment
2. What to do if you can’t make your appointment – please don’t be a DNA!
3. What to bring with you
4. Arrival at the clinic
5. What to expect
6. While at your clinic appointment
Please check latest NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Visiting Guidelines.
In normal circumstances, the following would apply:
1. Your appointment
The details of your appointment will be sent to you by letter and will confirm the date, time and location of your appointment. If the date and time is unsuitable for you, please call the phone number on your letter to rearrange your appointment.
On occassion, we may phone you to arrange an appointment. This may be especially the case if an appointment is being arranged at short notice.
We offer outpatient appointments at various hospital sites depending on the home address of the patient. These hospital sites are:
Neurology Outpatients Department, Institute of Neurological Sciences, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow G51 4TF
(How to find the Neurology Outpatient Department – Map)
Glasgow Royal Infirmary (How to find the Royal Infirmary – Map)
The Royal Alexandra Hospital (How to find the Royal Alexandra – Map)
The Vale of Leven Hospital (How to find the Vale of Leven – Map)
Telemedicine and Attend Anywhere (NHS Near Me) appointments
The Neurology service has offered telemedicine appointments for over a decade to the Western Isles. These allow access to specialist clinics for certain patients with epilepsy, motor neurone disease and movement disorders. Patients visit their outpatient clinic at local hospitals in Stornoway and Benbecula, and are linked via television screens to their neurologists in Glasgow.
The Attend Anywhere clinics (NHS Near Me) offer clinics virtually with patients using mobile devices, smart devices such as iPads or tablets, or computers, either from their home or their office.
Patients type in a provided website address at the appointed clinic time. This allows them to enter a virtual waiting area. The neurologist or the nurse specialist then connects to the patient. The consultation then proceeds in a manner similar to a Facetime, Skype or WhatsApp video call.
2. What to do if you can’t make your appointment – please don’t be a DNA!
A DNA is someone who Did Not Attend their appointment without phoning to let us know beforehand. This meant that the clinic, doctors and nurses were all ready for the patient but the appointment slot was wasted. Last year the neurology service in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had several thousand DNAs. If you cannot make your appointment please phone the number on your clinic letter so we can give the appointment to someone else.
3. What to bring with you
When you come to your appointment, please bring:
Your appointment card
A note of any prescribed drugs presently being taken
Repeat prescription card (if you have one)
Any questions you may have for the doctor
In addition, it may be useful to bring a relative or friend with you to your clinic appointment if you wish to do so. All patients being seen at the First Seizure clinic, for the first time at an Epilepsy clinic or at a general clinic with a suspected first fit are requested to bring along a relative or friend who has witnessed their seizures.
4. Arrival at the clinic
When you arrive, please hand your appointment card to the receptionist, who will direct you to the waiting area. At the waiting area, a nurse will be available for your assistance.
If you have not been seen within thirty minutes of your appointment time, a reason for the delay should be given and an indication of when you will be seen by the doctor.
5. What to expect
At the appointment you will be seen a Consultant Neurologist or one of their representatives and you can bring a relative or friend into the clinic room with you if you wish to do so. The length of consultation can vary and investigations may be carried out so please try not to have any other immediate commitments scheduled for after your appointment. If the doctor needs to carry out a physcial examination you may be asked to remove some of your clothing but if so you will be given time to do this in private.
Afterwards, if the doctor feels a further appointment is necessary he or she will give you a note to take to the receptionist at your clinic who will make the necessary arrangements for you.
6. While at your clinic appointment
Student Teaching
There may be students at your clinic but you have a right to decide whether or not you wish to participate in student teaching or medical research. You should be asked about this before your consultation.
No Smoking and No Alcohol
The hospital operates a No Smoking Policy and No Alcohol Policy. ‘No Smoking’ means no smoking in any NHS building, entrance, doorway, grounds or car park.
Fire Safety
In the event of the fire alarm ringing the nursing staff will advise you what to do.
Courtesy to Staff
Abusive or violent behaviour will not be tolerated and the hospital will consider prosecuting any person whose behaviour is unacceptable.
Confidentiality of Health Information
All staff are legally bound by a Confidentiality Code of Practice regarding Health Information recorded about you. If you wish to know more about confidentiality and health information then a guidance leaflet is available from all clinics.
Comments and Suggestions
We welcome comments and suggestions about any aspect of your attendance at the hospital. If you wish to complain then a guidance leaflet is available from all clinics.
Mobile phones
Please do not use mobile phones – they may cause interference to medical equipment.
Travel costs
The following information only applies to patients on Family Credit, Income Support or Low Income.
a. Patients are required to bring proof of entitlement e.g. a letter confirming entitlement to benefit, HC2 certificate, NHS Tax Credit Exemption Card, Asylum Registration Card (ARC), etc.
b. Bus or rail tickets will be required as evidence
c. In some cases the travelling costs of an escort can be claimed
Taxi fares will not be reimbursed
Please ask at the reception desk if you require further information.