Clinic appointments and outcomes

What to expect at your clinic appointment

When you arrive for your outpatient appointment, you may need some initial checks before seeing the clinician. These may include an X-ray, or measurements such as your weight, height, BMI, and blood pressure. The radiographers and nursing team will carry these out, and the reception staff will guide you if these are required. 

After any pre-consultation checks are completed, you will meet with the appropriate member of the clinical team for your assessment. 

Following the consultation, you may need additional tests or treatments before leaving the department. These may include further X-rays, blood tests, plaster cast treatment, splint application, or wound care. 

A clear plan for your ongoing care will be discussed and agreed with you before you leave. 

We outline some of the possible outcomes you may be offered below: 

Sent for investigation

The clinician may refer you for further investigations following your consultation such as MRI scan, CT scan.  This investigation will happen at a later date and an appointment letter will be sent out to you. Following the investigation the orthopaedic clinical team may arrange for a further appointment, this could be face-to-face, by telephone or by video technology or we may write to you with the result.

Referred to another consultant

After your consultation, we may decide to seek advice from another member of the clinical team. This could be from another consultant within the orthopaedic department who is more specialised with a specific orthopaedic problem or a consultant in another specialty if the diagnosis is not thought to be an orthopaedic problem.  This happens when the reason for referral or the treatment of the condition is complex.

Follow-up appointment

After the consultation, we may offer you a review appointment. Follow-up appointments are used to monitor your condition and or injury, to assess for progression of a condition or to allow patients time to reflect on a diagnosis and treatment options.  This appointment may be a face-to-face consultation, a telephone call or a video call. 

Added to surgical waiting list

During your orthopaedic consultation and after any investigations you may have had the clinical outcome may be that surgery is required to treat your condition or injury.  If you agree you will be added to the correct orthopaedic waiting list for surgery.

Discharged

You will be discharged once your treatment has been completed with the orthopaedic team. However, your treatment with the multidisciplinary team may continue, such as continuing with physiotherapy services. Occasionally patients will be discharged with an option of a patient initiated review, this means if you started to experience symptoms again or the problem returned then you can contact the orthopaedic appointment team to book a review appointment without requiring a new referral from your GP.

Support with transport to appointments

To find out whether you qualify for support with transport to your appointment check on the Scottish Ambulance website.