Information for Outpatients

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This provides access to transport for patients with a medical need, and where the medical need impacts on their mobility to such an extent that it prevents them from using other forms of transport. A clinical need for treatment does not imply that you are eligible for NHS patient transport.

If you believe you have a requirement for patient transport on a medical/and or mobility need, please telephone West Midlands Ambulance Transport Service on 0345 425 0050. To help provide a reliable service, please book your ambulance transport at least one full week in advance before your appointment.

When booking ambulance transport you will need to explain your medical and mobility needs as your eligibility to receive patient transport will be assessed against agreed eligibility criteria. If any follow-up appointment/treatment is required, the ambulance must be booked by the clinic/ward.

Where possible do not accept appointment times before 9:30am or after 3:30pm. If you have a morning appointment, we suggest you are ready from 8:30am and if you have an afternoon appointment, you are ready from 12:30pm.

An escort may only accompany you if this escort is a professional or relative that can provide particular skills that cannot be provided by the patient transport staff or is recognised as the parent or guardian of an eligible child of under 16 years of age.

Please be aware that you may not be the only patient travelling on that vehicle.

All pedestrian entrances are suitable for wheelchairs.

Leighton Hospital- Wheelchairs are situated in the Outpatient Department and Main Entrance at Leighton Hospital.

Victoria Infirmary, Northwich (VIN)- Wheelchairs are in entrances in the main hospital, Rehabilitation Unit and Verdin House.

There are disabled toilets in key locations around our hospitals.

Please notify the clinic (stated on your appointment letter) if you require any extra assistance with mobility when attending for your appointment. Wheelchairs are available for use if required.

If English is not your first language, we can provide an interpreter via telephone or video. However, if you require a face-to-face interpreter or a deafness support worker, please let the department know in advance before your appointment. If you cannot attend your appointment, please make sure that the department concerned is aware that an interpreter or deafness support worker has been booked and will need to be cancelled/rearranged.

A relative or friend can accompany you to your outpatient appointment. Preferably only one relative or friend can be with you during your consultation. If you have more than one accompanying you, they will be able to wait in the Outpatient waiting area.

1. Any letters relating to your appointment.

2. A list of your current medicines (for example, tablets, inhalers, eye drops or creams) or a copy of your repeat prescription. You can ask your GP practice for an up-to-date printout of these.

3. Your glasses or hearing aids.

4. Urine specimen if requested.

5. A list of questions you may wish to ask the doctor.

Patients must be offered a chaperone:

• For all intimate examinations and procedures
• Where the consultation involves the dimming of lights
• Where the consultation requires to examine (touch) a patient
• Where the patient is required to be in a state of undress
• When the examination is on a minor or a patient who lacks capacity and is not considered competent to consent
• Where the patient requests a chaperone due to religious, faith, cultural or personal preference

Please note: Anyone who requires a chaperone has a right to request one. For more information, please contact the Manager of the department that you are attending.

For information on car parking at the Trust, please click here

Please report to the department stated on your appointment letter where your appointment will be checked, and your personal details confirmed. Everyone who attends an Outpatient’s clinic is under the care of a Consultant Specialist. Under their direction are a number of doctors responsible for your treatment. You may, therefore, see the Consultant or one of their medical or nursing staff.

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To book in for your eye care appointment, please report to the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Reception Desk. The ENT Department is clearly sign-posted from the Outpatients Hall. Once booked in, a member of staff will then direct you to the appropriate clinic.

Most staff wear a uniform, and all staff wear a photo identification and a named badge which should help you to identify them. Visual boards displaying staff roles and uniforms can be found on each suite. However, if you are in doubt, please ask them to introduce themselves.

MCHFT is a teaching hospital and as part of their training, students spend time in a range of departments throughout MCHFT, working under direct supervision and accessing a variety of teaching opportunities. This may involve sitting in with a doctor during clinics. You will be informed by staff if a medical student is present and given the choice if you want them to be present during your appointment. If you attend an appointment where a medical student is present, you may prefer not to be seen by them. If this is the case, please just inform a member of staff. Asking not to be seen by a medical student will not affect your treatment in any way.

Your doctor, nurse, or other health professional will explain your treatment to you and provide written information about your procedure.

If this involves an operation or certain other procedures, you will be asked to sign a consent form. It is important to remember that it is your treatment, and it is your decision. Medical staff will discuss the risks and benefits with you, including the option not to treat. They will not be able to decide for you. It is for you to choose whether or not to consent to what is being proposed. Ask as many questions as you like and remember to tell the healthcare team about anything that concerns you; or about any medication, allergies or past medical history which might affect your general health. Remember it is your right to withdraw your consent at any time.

If you are required to attend the hospital for a follow-up appointment within the next six weeks, please take your form to the Outpatients Hall Reception Desk to arrange your next appointment. If your next appointment is due in more than six weeks’ time, then we will contact you to arrange an appointment approximately four weeks before you are due to attend. Staff in the clinic will be able to advise you accordingly. There is no need to return to the reception desk if you are discharged.

At the outpatient clinic, if the hospital clinician decides that your medication needs to be altered this will happen in one of the following ways: For non-urgent changes to your medication, your hospital clinician will write to your GP informing them of their recommendations. This letter will take up to 14 days to process. After 14 days you will need to book an appointment with your GP to discuss the hospital clinician’s recommendations. If the hospital clinician thinks you need to start a new medicine straight away, they will give you a hospital prescription form. If you were seen at Leighton Hospital you can only take to the hospital pharmacy. Out of hospital pharmacy opening hours you may be given a prescription that you can take to any community pharmacy for dispensing. If you were seen at Victoria Infirmary staff will phone you when your prescription is ready to collect. Collection is from the Administration Office, Ground Floor Verdin House or you may be given a prescription to take to any community pharmacy for dispensing. For questions about medicines supplied by the hospital, please telephone the Medicines Helpline on 01270 273221. Available Monday to Friday 10.00am - 3.00pm.

The Trust provides a variety of facilities within Leighton Hospital and Victoria Infirmary, Northwich (VIN) which patients and visitors are welcome to use. Please ask staff for opening times.

Leighton Hospital

Café Express: Situated in the Main Entrance. Offering a wide selection of hot and cold ‘grab and go’ meals.

The Bakehouse: Situated in the Outpatients Department. Offering a large selection of fresh baked and home cooked products as well as hot and cold beverages. Open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4pm.

Bistro: Situated in the Treatment Centre. Offering a restaurant style plated meal service. We kindly request that patients with wounds, drips or catheters refrain from visiting the Treatment Centre.

Hospital shop: Situated in the main entrance. Sells snack, newspapers, toiletries etc.

Vending Machines: Situated in the following areas offering a variety of hot drinks and combi machines with cold drinks and snacks available: • Emergency Departments • GPOOH • Top floor crossroads • Outside Urology • Antenatal • Jet Library • Outpatients 

Victoria Infirmary, Northwich (VIN) 

Vending Machine: Situated in the main reception area offering a variety of hot and cold drinks and snacks.

A 24-hour free cash machine is situated outside the main entrance.

The Trust has been recognised as being “Research Active” by the Department of Health and you may be approached to participate in Clinical Trials Research undertaken at the Trust. If you would like to consider getting involved in clinical trials research or require further information, please contact Research and Development, Leighton Hospital, Middlewich Road, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 4QJ. Direct line: 01270 612163 or 278095. 

If you are receiving any of the benefits listed below, you may be able to get help with the cost of parking and necessary travel to hospital for NHS treatment.

1. Pension Credit Guarantee Credit

2. Tax Credit Exemption

3. Income Support

4. Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

5. Employment and Support Allowance Notice (Income Based)

6. Universal Credit

Making a claim from the Cashier’s Office

To make a claim for your travel and parking expenses, you must provide proof of your benefit letter, or your award notice dated within one year of your appointment date. Universal Credit payments must be within one month of your appointment date and either printed off or shown via your Universal Credit ledger on your phone.  Proof of appointments must also be presented.

Claims up to one month can be claimed via the cash office, older claims up to three months can be claimed on a HC5 form. 

If you are unable to provide proof of your letter on the day, you may be able to make a claim by completing a HC5 form.

If you are claiming for parking on the day of your appointment, you need to provide your car parking ticket. The cashier will give you another ticket, which you need to insert into the ticket barrier to allow you to exit the car park free of charge. If you are claiming for parking after your appointment day, you must provide a car parking receipt. This can be obtained by pressing the receipt button on the car park barrier as you exit.

If you are not on any benefits listed, you need to complete HC1 - low-income application form. If you are entitled, you will be sent an exemption certificate either HC2 full help or HC3 limited help.

At Leighton Hospital, the Cashiers office is located on the ground floor, blue corridor, opposite the security office.  Opening hours are Mon- Fri 8.30am-4.00pm ( excluding all bank holidays). 

At Victoria Infirmary, the Administration Office, Ground Floor Verdin House. Open Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Hospital) 9.00am – 4.30pm. Telephone Switchboard on 01606 564060 and ask for the Administration Office.

If you require any more information, either contact DWP Benefit Enquiry Line on Freephone 0800 055 6688 or the Cashier’s Office/Administration Office. Alternatively, you can obtain a copy of the booklet, HC12 ‘A quick guide to help with health costs’ available from your local benefit office or visit Help with health costs - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

If you normally live in a country outside the United Kingdom, you may have to pay for your treatment. A member of the hospital staff will contact you if this might be the case, so we can decide whether and how much you need to pay. European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is required for EU residents.

Smoking

The Trust operates a Smoke Free Site, which applies to all staff, patients, visitors and contractors. This means that smoking (including e-cigarettes) is not permitted in the buildings or grounds of any site owned by the Trust. If you smoke and would like help and support to stop smoking, contact the Cure Team on 01270 826482 for free, friendly advice and support. Available Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 4.30pm.

Zero Tolerance

The Trust follows the guidance of the Department of Health on ‘Zero Tolerance to violence against staff’. Persons acting in a threatening manner either verbally or physically will be reported to the police and further action may be taken.

Mobile phones

Mobile phones are permitted on the ward and in designated areas in the hospital.  To protect patients and staff confidentiality, mobile phones must not be used to take photographs, videos or voice recordings on the ward or inside the hospital.

Photography and video/sound recording

It is important that all patients, visitors and staff feel safe whilst they are in hospital, on hospital grounds or whilst receiving treatment in the community. Patients and visitors are free to use their mobile phones, unless there are signs to say otherwise, whilst in hospital.

We appreciate that patients and visitors may want to take photographs and video recordings whilst in our care however to keep other patients, staff and visitors safe and respect their privacy we would ask that any such use is done with due consideration for others. This includes ensuring that:

• Any photos or videos taken whilst in hospital, or on hospital grounds or whilst receiving treatment in the community do not include other patients, visitors or staff, or their personal details, unless they have given you their consent
• Photos and recordings are not uploaded to social media
• Any photos or videos are deleted if asked to do so by a member of staff

Fire alarm

The fire alarm testing takes place every Tuesday at Leighton Hospital.

Upon hearing the fire alarm, evacuate the building unless otherwise instructed by staff. Upon evacuating the building via the safest route, wait outside, away from the building until instructed by hospital staff.

Discovery of a fire

Immediately vacate the area and close doors as you leave. Raise the alarm by advising a member of staff or via the fire alarm break glass point (red box) if you are aware of its location. Once you have raised the alarm evacuate the building and wait to be further instructed by staff.