If it’s suitable for your care, you can now attend hospital appointments remotely with online video calling.

You can speak with a clinician from your home or work, saving you time and money. We are currently piloting this scheme for a small number of patients, but we hope to extend the service throughout our Trust in the future.

If you have been offered a video appointment, it means a senior clinician has reviewed your case and feels it is appropriate for your care. If during the consultation you and your clinician feel that another type of appointment is more appropriate, this can be arranged.

Attending your appointment

We will schedule your appointment as normal and write to you to confirm the details of the date and time. But instead of traveling to your appointment, you will get a link to an online clinic.

Once you have followed the link, you will need to join the relevant online waiting area. Your clinician will be notified when you arrive, and they will join you as soon as they are ready.

Waiting rooms

You will only be able to access an online appointment if you have spoken to your clinician and received confirmation of an online appointment.

Test your microphone and camera

Please click the department you are attending

What you need

  • a good internet connection (you can watch videos online)

  • a private, well lit area where you will not be disturbed during your consultation

  • an internet enabled device, like a PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone

  • a working camera, speakers and microphone (usually built into laptops or mobile devices)

  • a Google Chrome web browser, or Safari web browser (the service does not work with other browsers)

If you have an Android phone, you will need to download the Google Chrome app before trying to dial into your virtual clinic.

Will it cost money?

If you make your video call over a WiFi connection, your call will be free apart from what you already pay for your internet usage.

If you make your video call using your mobile data, you may be charged extra by your network provider if you go over your data allowance. You should connect to WiFi where possible, to avoid using your mobile data.

Is it secure?

When you log in for an appointment using our online video calling service, we process your name for the purpose of identifying you in the system waiting room to the clinician you have an appointment with. This information is not retained once the session has been completed.

We also process the personal information exchanged between you and the clinician during the call. This is processed over a secure encrypted internet channel and is only accessed by you and your clinician. The legal basis for processing your personal data is that it is necessary for the purposes of the Trust’s official tasks as a health service provider.The consultation is not recorded but the clinician will make notes during or after the session for inclusion in your health records.

For more information about how the Trust looks after your information click here

How do I make a call?

  1. Click on your dedicated waiting room from the speciality list above
  2. Click the Start video call button and follow the instructions on screen
  3. You will be met joined in the waiting room by a receptionist, who will check your personal details and transfer you to the clinician
  4. Your clinician will see you arrive in the waiting area queue, and will join you as soon as they are ready
  5. You do not need to create an account, because the information you enter will not be stored.

Troubleshooting

If you are having trouble accessing your online video call appointment, visit the NHS Attend Anywhere troubleshooting guide.