If you are acutely unwell, your GP may refer you to the Acute Assessment and Admitting Service in the Emergency Department at the front of Middlemore Hospital. The Medical team working in the Emergency Care Department will look after you, admitting you if necessary and requesting further specialist advice from the subspeciality teams if needed.
If the referral is less urgent and the referring doctor is requesting help in the management of your condition, the doctor will write a letter requesting an appointment with the medical team as an outpatient. Waiting times for the appointment depend on the urgency of the condition as outlined in the referral letter from your doctor, but vary between 2 weeks and 3-4 months.
Not all referrals are seen in a face-to-face consultation, instead your doctor may receive advice on how to manage your condition or investigate it further.
When seen in the outpatient clinic you will be seen by a member of the medical specialist team who will ask questions about your illness, examine you and possibly order further investigations. This may involve having x-rays, a CT scan, endoscopy, catheter study or blood tests and then returning to clinic when all the results have been received. Once a diagnosis is made, management of your condition will be outlined to you and you will either be requested to return to the clinic or to see your GP for follow-up.
Outpatient clinics are held at:
- Middlemore Hospital (haematology and renal clinics)
- Manukau SuperClinicâ„¢
- Botany Downs SuperClinicâ„¢.