Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Outpatients: Video consultations

Have your appointment in the comfort of your own home

We have partnered with DrDoctor to offer patients the option to have video consultations with their care team.

Video consultations are an easy way for you to have your appointment, without needing to travel to hospital and offer a safe and easy alternative to face-to-face appointments.

This short video introduction will help to explain how it works (please see also 'How video consultations work' below):

If you have been offered a video consultation, you will receive a text message with a secure DrDoctor link.

If you do not want a video consultation, please let us know as soon as possible, by calling the number on your appointment letter or text message; if we have enough notice, we will offer it to another patient.

How video consultations work

Step 1: We will notify you

We will notify you of your video consultation by text message or letter.

Your appointment letter and reminder text message will notify you that your appointment will be a video consultation, as well as the date and time of your appointment.

Log in to the Patient Portal (www.nhs.my/gwh) and view information about your appointment.

Step 2: Check what you need

Check that you have what you will need for your video consultation:

• A smart phone, tablet or computer with a camera and speaker (these are usually built into your device)
• A good connection to the internet, we recommend using wi-fi where possible which may have a better connection and will not use your mobile data allowance.
• A quiet, well-lit room where you will not be disturbed. If you are by a bright light, like a window, sit so the light is on your face not behind you.
• A table or surface to prop your device on, so your camera stays steady during the call.
• For Apple devices (IOS and MAC) you should use the default Safari browser, for Windows and Android .devices we recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.

Step 3: Text message prompt

We will send you a text message prompt 1-2 hours before your appointment with a secure DrDoctor link to your video consultation.

Step 4: Click on the link

Click this link a few minutes before your appointment to go straight to your private video consultation waiting room.

We recommend that you join a few minutes before so you can test your audio and video before your clinician joins.

Step 5: Wait for your clinician to join

Please wait for your clinician to join you in the virtual consultation room.

You may need to wait a while if the clinic is running late so please stay on the call.

If your clinician is running behind, they may send you a message within the video consultation to let you know.

Step 6: If there's a problem

If there is any difficulty your clinician will phone you on your mobile number.

Further information

Please see also:

• Video consultations: Frequently asked questions
• Appointment information online