Appointments

How to get an appointment

Most people come to our service from the children's sickle cell and thalassaemia service.

We also accept referrals from:

• GPs
• other hospitals

If a diagnosis was found through prenatal screening, the genetic counselling team in the community will tell us your results. We'll make an appointment for you in the sickle obstetric clinic.

If a diagnosis was found by a blood test at one of our hospitals or community sites, you'll be referred internally.

Changing or cancelling your appointment

Phone: 020 7188 2724

If we do not answer the phone, please leave a message. 

Outside of working hours, please call the main hospital switchboard on 020 7188 7188. Tell the switchboard operator you're a sickle cell patient and you cannot make your appointment. Please also tell them when your appointment is. We'll call you to make a new appointment.

You can also email your consultant's secretary or the clinical nurse specialists at [email protected].

Please tell us as soon as possible if you're unable to come to your appointment as we can offer it to someone else.

 

We have a high number of people who do not come to their appointment. This number is much higher compared to other departments. This may impact the services and resources we provide in the future and lead to you missing the treatment you need.

Before your appointment

Please try to be on time for your appointment.

During your appointment

Most appointments are face-to-face, especially your yearly annual review appointments. If you do not attend, we may try to call you.

At you're appointment you're usually see a haematology consultant or a specialist registrar in haematology.

The doctor will try to see you within 30 minutes of your arriving at the clinic, but this is not always possible.

You may also see:

• advanced nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists
• psychologists
• a research nurse who will tell you about the research studies we're running
• community sickle cell nurses
• a phlebotomist who will take your blood sample
• a clinic nurse who will check your blood pressure, oxygen levels, pulse and test your urine sample

We run a nurse-led hydroxycarbamide clinic and you'll come every 6 weeks to 3 months. This will be a telephone appointment. 

You may also need to come for blood tests. This will be in the hospital, or at one of our clinics in the community.

It is important to come to your appointments even if you're feeling well.

After your appointment

You can make your next appointment with the receptionist.

If you need any tests or investigations before your next appointment can be booked, we'll contact you.

You will receive a text message to your mobile phone about a week before your next appointment. Please give us your mobile phone number if you would like to receive text message reminders.

You will receive a copy of the letter we send to your GP after your appointment. Please tell the receptionist if you do not want to receive this.

On the MyChart app you can see your:

• appointments
• clinic letters
• blood test results

Please ask a member of staff if you would like to sign up to MyChart.

We may need to organise other tests, such as X-rays, echocardiographs or scans. The doctor at the clinic will explain this to you and the appointments will be sent to you.