Appointments

We offer face-to-face appointments at our community clinics from Monday to Friday.

We also provide telephone appointments and video appointments.

How to get an appointment

Your GP in Lambeth or Southwark can refer you.

If you're housebound, your community nurse (also known as a district nurse) can assess you. Please talk to your nurse about this or ask your GP.

You can self-refer for an appointment if we've seen you within the last 6 months. Please phone us to make a self-referral.

Changing or cancelling your appointment

Phone: 020 3049 8810

Please give as much notice as possible.

If you're running late, please phone the reception of the clinic your appointment is at to let them know:

• Akerman health centre
• Bermondsey health centre
• Elmcourt health centre
• Gracefield Gardens health centre
• Lister primary care centre
• Tessa Jowell health centre

If you're more than 15 minutes late, we'll not be able to see you. We'll offer you a new appointment on a different day.

If you do not attend your appointment twice, we'll discharge you and let your GP know.

Before your appointment

We'll send you a fluid and bowel chart with your appointment letter. This includes a quality of life questionnaire.

Please complete these and bring them with you to your appointment. Please also bring a list of medicines you take.

You're welcome to bring someone with you for support.

Please try and arrive 10 minutes before your appointment time.

During your appointment

Your first appointment usually lasts an hour.

Follow-up appointments last 30 minutes.

At face-to-face appointments, our nurse will examine you. Often this will include an internal examination. You can ask for a male or female nurse.

We may ask for a urine sample and do other tests, such as a bladder scan. These will depend on your needs.

At telephone and video appointments, our nurse will ask questions about your condition.

We'll work out the best care and support plan for you.

We're a teaching hospital and sometimes students will be involved in your care as part of their training. They'll always be supervised by an experienced member of staff. We'll ask for your consent for them to be at your appointments. It will not affect your care if you prefer them not to be.

After your appointment

We'll send a letter to your GP and any other health professionals involved in your care who need to know.

The letter will include details of your care and support plan. If needed, we'll organise a follow-up appointment or referral to another specialist service.

Please contact us if you have any questions after your appointment.