Hospital advice needed

[Mgee]

I'm due to have an outpatient appointment at our local hospital later this week. Now I have no idea how I should prepare for the appointment: it's basically a surgeon's consultation to determine how we proceed with an existing condition I have, i.e. will I need another operation (had one back "home" earlier this year) or are we going to try other options.

Now, back in Finland, you're not allowed to wear your own clothes for hygiene reasons while you're in the hospital as a patient. In other European countries, you have to bring your own clothes to wear in the hospital. What about here: should I pack my jimjams & bunny slippers etc? I assume that the appointment will last anything between half an hour to a couple of hours, depending on the examinations and tests they want to do.

All I know is that I have to show up at ten o'clock and take my passport with me to prove that I'm eligible for treatment. Any advice, anyone?

[ralf-nz]

I had had several appointments as an outpatient here and never was asked to replace my clothes by Hospital stuff. This applied also especially to the surgery department where I got - amongst others - wounds redressed.

[IanW99]

Check out Outpatients

Ian

[Mgee]

Thanks!

[M-Squared]

Good luck with your appointment

[monkey]

Hi Mgee
First of all I hope everything goes well for you at the hospital. No need to bring any extra clothes unless you think they are going to admit you for an overnight stay, and by the sound of it you are going there to talk about future admissions so I doubt they would admit you straightaway. So I think wearing something really comfortable and easy to get on and off quickly is the best idea and make sure you dress warmly enough, if you're kept sitting and waiting (I hope that you're not), you don't want to get cold. Probably a good idea to bring a list of any prescription medications you take and if you have copies of consultants' letters or diagnostic test results from abroad they might be useful to bring along. As you're in Wellington I assume you're not going to Waikato Hospital (where I work) otherwise I would offer to meet you for a cup of tea or help you out with directions.
I hope everything goes smoothly for you!
Bridget