Going to an appointment

Being an outpatient

Your child is an outpatient when they go to hospital for an appointment with a doctor, specialist or clinic.

Sometimes your child will need these appointments to help them get ready to stay in hospital.

They'll usually see a specialist doctor or a range of other healthcare professionals, or they may see both. They may also have an X-ray, procedure, or other tests.

Getting an appointment

Your child needs an appointment to visit our outpatient clinics. They may be referred by your GP or other health professional outside the hospital, or they may be seen as an outpatient for follow-up care after being treated as an inpatient.

If your GP thinks your child should see a specialist, they’ll write a referral letter. You can also talk to your GP if you have any health concerns. They'll decide if your child needs specialist treatment and arrange any medicines or tests that they need.

Your GP will then send a referral letter to the specialist at our hospital.

Depending on the urgency of their condition, they may be put on a waiting list for their first outpatient appointment.

They may also be placed on an elective surgery waiting list after their appointment.

Most referrals from a GP to a specialist are valid for 12 months. Referrals from specialists and consultant physicians to other specialists are valid for 3 months unless you’re admitted to hospital.

Each specialist clinic has its own process for assessing urgency, accepting referral letters and making appointments.

If you have any questions about your referral, call our outpatients call centre on 1300 762 831.

How much it will cost?

The appointment is usually free if your child is on your Medicare card, but there may be other treatment costs you'll need to pay for.

Ask your GP or specialist if you'll need to pay for any part of the appointment and make sure you bring your Medicare card with you.

Before your appointment

The specialist will usually send you a letter with all your child's appointment details a few weeks beforehand. Make sure you know the date, time, and where you need to go.

We have maps and other information to help you plan your trip, including how to get here, find parking or using public transport.

If you need an interpreter, call our outpatients unit on 1300 762 831 at least 2 weeks before the appointment. We'll arrange one for you.

Asking questions about your child's health

You can ask your specialist questions at any time during the appointment. If you don't understand what you're being told, ask them to explain it again.

You can ask them to explain medical terms and write them down for you.

Your child might have some questions too. It’s a good idea to write them down and take them with you so you don't forget what you want to ask.

You may want to know:

• if your child needs this test, treatment or procedure
• what the risks are
• if there's simpler, safer options
• what happens if you don't do anything.

You can also ask staff for a copy of your child’s outpatient letters so you have a record of what's been done and what's planned.

What to bring

On the day of the appointment please bring your Medicare card and your child's:

• appointment letter
• test results, reports and medical scans such as x-rays, bone scans or ultrasounds
• medications and any dietary supplements
• GP contact details.

It's also a good idea to bring a book or something else for your child to do in the waiting room. We have cafes and vending machines throughout the hospital, and a food court, but you may want to bring a snack and a drink with you.

The day of your appointment

Finding your way around

Allow plenty of time for your visit, especially if this is your first appointment.

If you need help finding the clinic, ask one of our volunteers. You can find them at the reception desk on level 2 wearing green shirts.

We have maps and videos to show you around and help you get ready for your trip to hospital.

Check in at the clinic

When you arrive, go to the department named in the appointment letter and let the staff know you're there. They’ll check your details, ask to see your Medicare card and tell you where to wait.

We do our best to stay on schedule, but delays can happen. Your doctor may need to discuss a complicated treatment or diagnosis with another patient. Please tell clinic staff if you can’t wait for your appointment.

If you need to leave the area, please let the staff know so they can send you a text message when you need to come back.

After your appointment

A couple of weeks after your appointment, you should get a letter or email with a summary of your consultation. It'll include what was discussed with you on the day and explain what the next steps are. If you don't understand the letter, contact our outpatients unit, the clinic or your GP.

If you need another appointment, you'll be sent another letter.

Changing an appointment

If you need to change your appointment, please contact our outpatients call centre by either:

• phone: 1300 762 831
• email: CHQ-Outpatients@health.qld.gov.au.

yourQH

You can also change your appointment using yourQH.

yourQH is a Queensland Health online portal for patients, families and carers.

You can use it to:

• check your referral information
• reschedule or cancel appointments
• get in touch with clinic staff
• get directions to the appointment
• fill in forms.

You can create an account or find more information on the Queensland Health website.