Getting an Appointment with a Consultant

Getting an Appointment with a Consultant

If you have a medical problem you should, in the first instance, discuss it with your GP. If he or she feels that your condition requires the services of a Consultant you will be provided with a referral as appropriate. You should feel free to request a specific Consultant if you have a preference and ask your GP to refer you to your nominated choice. This may be within your hospital catchment area.

Under Medical Council Guidelines, a Consultant should not normally accept a patient without referral from a GP. An exception may arise where a patient is admitted to hospital in an emergency, for example after a road traffic accident.

When you are admitted to hospital, whether in an emergency or on a planned or elective basis, you will be under the care of your admitting Consultant.

Your Consultant leads a team of doctors with whom you will have most contact. This is quite normal. Depending on the circumstances, the Consultant may personally deliver the appropriate care. Other Consultants, such as Radiologists, Pathologists and Anaesthetists, may also be involved in your care because of their particular expertise. These non-admitting doctors work in the particular hospital in which you are being treated and form part of a team that is there to provide you with the best care possible.