Coronavirus
Please do not attend your hospital appointment if you or someone you live with has any of the following symptoms: A new continuous cough, fever, or loss of taste or smell. Please call to let us know and to arrange another appointment.
Please let us know as soon as possible if you can't make your appointmentor no longer need it
Using the telephone number on your appointment letter please give us as much notice as possible so your appointment can then be offered to another patient, and you can be given an alternative if required.
Missing an appointment could mean missing out on important medical treatment, and can mean other people waiting longer. If you fail to attend without giving notice, normally you will not be offered another appointment.
The NHS Borders Patient Access Policy outlines the approach NHS Borders follow to book appointments in terms of how much notice you can expect, the number and types of offers you can have.
Why might we cancel your appointment?
Occasionally we may have to cancel your appointment at short notice. This can happen when the clinician is not available to see you (e.g. sickness) or you didn’t attend a related appointment and so we are unable to proceed. We will arrange a new appointment to see you as quickly as possible.
Getting to your appointment
Most people attending a hospital appointment will be able to get there by walking, travelling by car or using public transport (for details contact the National Traveline on 0871 200 22 33 or www.traveline.info). If you are on certain benefits you may be entitled to have some of these travel costs refunded. Voluntary services providing affordable transport for people living in the Scottish Borderscan be contacted via Borders Community Transport Hub on 0300 456 1985.
At the Borders General Hospital (BGH) - please note the parking regulations. There is a 20 minute drop-off point at the Main Entrance. Car Park 1 and 2 are available for short stay parkingfor up to a maximum of 4 hours.
Patient Transport Service
Some patients will need special transport which is provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) through its Patient Transport Service. The criteria for Patient Transport are that you:
- need the skills of an ambulance care assistant during your journey
- have a clinical condition that means it could be harmful or detrimental to your medical condition to travel by public transport
- have a condition of disability that makes it difficult or undesirable to travel by any other means
- have a medical condition that means you must have an escort to travel with you to your appointment
If you meet the criteria you may be eligible for ambulance transport. You need to contact the Scottish Ambulance Service no more than 28 days before your appointment on 0300 123 1236.[9:00am to 4:30pm Mon –Fri]
Should you need to cancel your appointment please remember to cancel any transport that has been arranged.
What should I wear to my appointment?
Please wear loose clothing in case you need to be examined during your visit. You are required to wear a face covering which covers your nose and mouth before entering any NHS Borders premises. If you do not have one, please ask for one at the main reception desk at the BGH on arrival. Children under the age of 5 are not required to wear a face covering.
What happens on the day of my appointment?
If you require assistance to access the BGH, please contact the main hospital switchboard on 01896 826000 when you arrive at the hospital to arrange for a porter to assist you from your car to the department. Alternatively, there are call bells on the wall at the Main Entrance to get assistance.
Please only arrive at the BGH for the time stated in your appointment letter. Please do not arrive early as you may be asked to wait outside in your car. On entering the building please use the hand sanitiser and have your face covering on before proceeding to the relevant outpatients department to check- in for your appointment.
When you arrive at the outpatients department you will be asked to confirm that you have no symptoms of coronavirus. Please note that if you report you have some symptoms, you may be asked to leave the building and will be sent another appointment for a later date.
How long will I be at my appointment?
We are unable to say exactly how long you will be at your appointment so please note:
- if you are going to have tests, your visit may take several hours
- the person/specialist you are seeing could be called away to deal with an emergency, this would delay your appointment
- if it is decided that an operation is needed you may also need to see the 'Pre-Assessment' team
If you should be unavoidably delayed at your appointment and are concerned about car parking, you should raise this with one of the nurses as when parking has been for more than 4 hours, they can provide you with an ‘Exemption Certificate’.
Who will I see?
At your appointment you may not be seen by the named clinician, but by another member of the clinical team. NHS Borders staff will be wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) during your appointment due to COVID-19 to protect our patients and staff. This may include gloves, aprons, masks, goggles and/or visors.
Can I bring someone with me to my appointment?
Where possible you should attend your appointment on your own and only bring a relative or friend with you if:
- you require assistance due to mobility issues in which case the accompanying person should wait outside the hospital (where possible) once you have checked into the clinic, or
- where a relative/friend is required to support you due to a communication or memory issue, or
- the clinician you are seeing has indicated you should bring someone with you, or
- you are accompanying a child to an appointment (only 1 parent/carer per child).
What happens after my appointment?
If the clinician needs to see you again they will give you a slip to hand in to the Receptionist before you leave. The clinician will write to the doctor who referred you detailing the outcome of your appointment. Results for any tests organised by the clinician will go back to them and not the doctor that referred you.
Catering Facilities
The Royal Voluntary Service shop at the BGH is currently closed and the Dining Room is not open to the public. If you expect your visit to be long you may wish to bring your own refreshments.
Patient Feedback
NHS Borders values all feedback, both positive and negative, as it helps us improve the services we provide and we particularly would like to hear about your experience of attending the hospital for an outpatient appointment.
Care Opinion is an independent organisation that provides an online forum for patient feedback. Patients and carers can tell their story about their experience of the NHS by visiting www.careopinion.org.uk or telephoning their Freephone number on 0800 122 3135. Any feedback shared is sent directly to the members of staff involved in your care who are also able to respond to your feedback directly.
Alternatively, feedback can also be provided to our Patient Experience Team who can be contacted as follows:
NHS Borders Patient Experience Team
Clinical Governance & Quality
Borders General Hospital
Melrose
TD6 9BS
Email: patient.experience@borders.scot.nhs.uk
Telephone: 01896 826719
Safeguarding your information
All NHS staff members have a legal duty to keep information about you confidential and store your personal health information securely. Only relevant information about you is shared internally within the NHS or with other organisations involved in your care.Further information about how the NHS uses health information and your rights can be found at https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/health-rights
For a copy of this information in another language, audiotape, Braille or BSL DVD, please contact Clinical Governance & Quality on 01896 826719.