Hospital Appointment Check: Easy Steps To Follow

There are several ways to check your hospital appointments, depending on your location and the hospital system you are a part of. In the UK, you can use the NHS App or website to manage hospital appointments and referrals. In the US, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers an online scheduling tool called My HealtheVet, which allows veterans to schedule, view, and manage their VA health appointments. Additionally, some healthcare facilities provide online portals or mobile apps, such as MyChart, where patients can view and manage their appointments. It is always a good idea to check with your healthcare provider or hospital system to understand the specific tools and methods available to you for checking and managing your hospital appointments.

Using the NHS App or website

To check your hospital appointment using the NHS App or website, you will first need to download the app or log in through the website. To do this, you must be aged 13 or over, registered with a GP surgery in England or the Isle of Man, and prove your identity to get full access.

Once you have access, you can view and manage your hospital appointments. To do this, go to the homepage or 'Your health' section. From there, select 'Upcoming and past appointments', followed by 'Hospital and specialist appointments'. Here, you will be able to see all your upcoming and past hospital appointments in one place. You can also select the appointment you want to reschedule or cancel and follow the steps provided.

Please note that some healthcare providers do not share referral and appointment information in the NHS App. If your healthcare provider has contacted you about an appointment that is not showing in the app, this appointment is still scheduled, and you should attend it. It can take a few days for upcoming or past appointments to appear in the app.

Patient Hub

Patient Hub is another online portal provided by the NHS that allows you to access information relating to your care. If the hospital has your mobile phone number and/or email address, you will automatically have access to the service. You will be sent a text message and/or email with a personalised link to Patient Hub, where you can access your appointment details and letters. You can also log in to Patient Hub using your mobile number, email address, and date of birth.

Checking VA appointment status

To check the status of your VA appointments, you can use the My HealtheVet VA appointments tool. This tool gives VA patients a detailed view of their VA facility and community care appointments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can view your upcoming scheduled VA clinic appointments, community care appointments, and your appointment history for the past 2 years.

To use the My HealtheVet VA appointments tool, you need to have a My HealtheVet Premium or DS Logon Premium or ID.me account and have registered as a VA Patient. Once you have signed in to your account, select 'View My VA Appointments' on the dashboard to view your appointments. You can also use the VA online scheduling tool to access and confirm your VA appointments.

If you are not enrolled in VA healthcare, you can apply on the VA website. You can also manage your health appointments online if you are registered as a patient in a VA health facility. The appointments you can schedule online depend on your facility, the type of health service, and other factors.

You will receive two reminder emails for each appointment. These emails are sent 14 days and 3 days prior to your appointment. The email reminders are sent to the email address you provided when you registered for My HealtheVet. When you change your email address, be sure to update it in your My HealtheVet account on your My Profile page.

Using MyChart to view and manage appointments

MyChart is a patient communication and information system that allows users to view and manage their appointments. It is powered by Epic, a software system used by many healthcare organizations.

To use MyChart, you must first register for an account. Once registered, you can log in to view your upcoming appointments, past visits, and request new appointments. MyChart also offers automated appointment reminders, on-demand video visits, e-visit messaging, eCheck-in, and the ability to reschedule or cancel appointments.

To view your future or past appointments, go to the "Visits" section of MyChart. Here, you can view all appointments or filter them by date range, provider, department, or specialty. For upcoming visits, you can see the date, time, location, and driving directions, as well as any pre-visit instructions from the clinic. For past visits, you can view the After Visit Summary, which can be printed or downloaded.

Additionally, MyChart allows you to view, download, or send records of individual visits. To do this, go to "Your Menu" > "My Record" > "Document Center" and click on the "Visit Records" box. From here, you can select the visits you want to view, download, or send to other providers.

MyChart also offers video visit appointments, which provide a convenient way to receive care from a location of your choice. To opt for a video visit, your provider will help determine if this is suitable for your needs.

Cancelling or rescheduling appointments

If you are registered as a patient at a VA Health Facility, you can manage your appointments online. You can also call them or use the Online Scheduling Tool to cancel or change an appointment. If you have Secure Messaging, you can send a Secure Message to your healthcare team.

The NHS App or website can be used to manage hospital referrals and appointments. You can view and manage documents and questionnaires for your hospital and specialist appointments. You can also reschedule your referral appointment in the app or on the website.

Some healthcare providers do not provide their waiting list data, so if your referral is not showing in the app, it could take a few weeks to become visible. If you need to know about an appointment sooner, contact your healthcare provider.

If you cancel your appointment less than 24 hours in advance, you may be considered to have failed to attend your appointment, which may result in a fee. However, if you are sick, you should not be charged a cancellation fee, even if you cancel on the day of your appointment, as long as you reschedule.

Setting up appointment reminders

Setting reminders for hospital appointments is a great way to ensure you don't miss your slot. Many healthcare providers now offer automated reminders, which can be sent via email, text message, or voice call. These reminders are sent at a specified time before your appointment, usually 24, 36, 48, or 72 hours in advance.

Some hospitals and healthcare providers will automatically enrol you in their reminder system, while others may require you to opt in. You can usually choose your preferred method of receiving reminders, whether that's via email, text, or phone call. For example, the US Department of Veterans Affairs uses a system called VEText to send text reminders about health appointments, which also includes facility and clinic details if desired.

If you have a smartphone, you may also be able to use it to pre-check in for your appointment and manage physical distancing at the hospital or clinic. This can include texting upon arrival and receiving a text back with instructions on where to wait and when to enter the building.

In addition to automated systems, you can also set up your own reminders. Most calendar applications allow you to set reminders for events, which can be customized to your preferences. This could be a good option if you prefer a specific type of reminder that isn't offered by your healthcare provider.

Regardless of the method you choose, setting reminders for hospital appointments can help ensure you don't forget, and it gives you the opportunity to cancel or reschedule if needed.

Frequently asked questions