How can I found out waiting times to see a Hospital Consultant as an outpatient?
There are a few ways to do this. Bear in mind though that the length of the waiting list is not necessarily a reflection on the capability of the consultant! Most consultants will not want their waiting times published on the internet, so you probably won’t be able to find out using open source material (it is an increasingly competitive market). If you have actually been referred to a speciality then using ‘Choose and Book’ should give you an idea of waiting times, but you need to actually have been referrred to use the system (and even then it’s a bit flaky!). Probably the easiest is to ask your GP; he or she should have a rough idea of how long the wait is to see a particular consultant. An alternative is to phone up the hospital switchboard, ask to speak to the Consultant’s secretary and ask her (or him) very nicely. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t give you a rough idea.
