Useful information for your visit at South Tees Hospitals
What happens when you are referred by your GP to see a specialist?
Please click here for more information
Eligibility for ambulance transport
If you have a medical condition that genuinely prevents you from using public transport or your own transport, you may be eligible for patient transport.
Patients should call the Advanced Booking Service on 0300 330 2000
All other patients living outside Teesside and North Yorkshire should discuss their transport needs with their own GP practice.
Bookings for transport are required 2 working days prior to travel.
Volunteer Driver Service
Thirsk Carers operate a volunteer driver service to help take patients to appointments. They are very flexible with times and will often wait for you whilst you are in your appointment. They charge a much lower amount than taxis. Please call 01845 574707 between 9am and 2pm to discuss.
Changing or cancelling your appointment
Should you need to change or cancel your appointment, it is very important that you contact the office telephone number detailed in your appointment letter to obtain another appointment arrangement. Please give the hospital as much notice as possible for any changes as this helps to prevent valuable appointment slots that can be offered to other patients being wasted.
Alternatively you can request appointment changes using the South Tees Hospitals Website at www.southtees.nhs.uk and clicking on the Contact Us link. You will then see the link called Rearrange or Cancel Appointment. Once your e-mail is received into the Trust, this will be passed to the appropriate appointment office who will deal with your appointment request.
What if you are unwell when your appointment is due?
Please do not attend your appointment if you have any symptoms of sickness and/or diarrhoea. A common stomach bug which causes these symptoms is called Norovirus, sometime known as the winter vomiting illness. It is highly infectious and can spread quickly in hospitals, putting patients at risk. You need to be free from symptoms for at least 48 hours before attending your appointment. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly and regularly at all times – particularly after using the toilet and before eating. If you are still ill after a few days contact your own GP or NHS Direct. If you need to cancel your appointment due to this illness, inform the appointment office by telephoning the contact number on your appointment letter so that another appointment can be organised for you.
If you need an operation in the future
When you attend your outpatient appointment, your clinician may decide that you will need to have an operation to treat your medical condition. For some specialties, your future admission could be organised to take place at either of the South Tees Hospital sites (James Cook University Hospital or Friarage Hospital). The hospital location of your future inpatient care will be notified to you when your admission is being arranged.
Copies of your clinic letters
If you would like to receive a copy of your clinic letter following your attendance at the outpatient clinic, then please ensure you request this from the member of the medical team who sees you on the day. They will make the necessary arrangements to provide a copy to you.
Car Parking (car parking fees are charged at most hospital sites)
If your appointment is at the Friarage Hospital then the main visitor car park can be found by driving past the main entrance and follow the signposting. Some alternative parking can be found by following the signage for the Accident and Emergency department and the car park is directly in front of you.
A hospital site map is enclosed if your appointment is at The Friarage Hospital and the South Tees Hospitals Website contains site information and route travel directions as well as local transport arrangements of how to get to each of our hospitals.
Allowing enough time for your appointment
As car parking at some of our hospital sites can be difficult, please ensure you allow enough time to park your car and walk the distance to the department you are attending. You may prefer to be dropped off at the main entrances of the hospital so that you don’t have as far to walk.
If you need your future appointments to be booked at a later time to allow you enough time to travel to the hospital then discuss this with the outpatient reception staff at the time you are booking your appointment or contact the department detailed in your appointment letter. Every effort will be made to help you although we may not be able to do this for every request.