Information about telephone clinics for patients with a skull-based tumour

What is a telephone clinic?

Telephone clinics are outpatient appointments that take place over the telephone rather than attending the hospital.

A dedicated time slot on a specific date will be allocated to you and the person doing the clinic will aim to call you on the contact number you have registered at this time.

Why have they been set up?

Some patients travel very long distances attend clinics as the skull base tumour service is a specialist service.

Often the appointment is a routine follow-up to discuss MRI images and any concerns following your treatment. Normally it doesn’t involve any procedure or test that needs to be done in a hospital.

The telephone clinic is designed to be more convenient to you and save you time and the inconvenience of travelling to Addenbrooke’s.

How do these clinics work?

As with any other clinic, you will be sent your clinic date and time in the post. During your allocated appointment time we ask you to remain close to your telephone and ensure it is not in use so we can contact you. It is important that you update our records if you make any changes to your telephone number.

We can contact you on a different number providing you make us aware of the number.

We would recommend you choose a number where you can talk easily and feel comfortable talking to us.

The telephone consultation will normally be done by the specialist nurse or radiographer for the skull base team. This will be under the supervision of the medical consultant for your care.

We will ask you some security questions to confirm we are talking to the correct person. Due to patient confidentiality issues, we will only be able to hold the consultation directly with you, the patient.

What if I prefer to come to clinic?

The choice is entirely yours at any time through this process. The telephone clinic is offered as an alternative for you to choose which option suits you best.

If you prefer to attend clinic and have a face-to-face consultation you are very welcome to request an outpatient appointment at anytime. You will need to contact us and make this request so that a clinic booking can be made.

Who will have viewed my images / scans?

Your scans will have been formally reviewed by a Neuro-Radiologist (a doctor who specialises in looking at scans of the brain) before your telephone consultation.

Your scans may also be discussed in the skull base multi-disciplinary team meeting prior to your appointment.

What if others want to listen to our conversation?

We will need to hold the initial consultation with you, as you are the patient. However, should you have a speaker phone or wish others to listen to our conversation that is entirely your choice and decision.

You will receive a letter following the consultation, which will provide details of what was discussed and what the future follow-up plan is.

Will I always be followed up by telephone?

Our policy is to offer patients telephone consultations for alternate appointments, so you will need to attend the hospital for every other appointment and if you require other investigations (e.g. hearing assessments).

If you wish to change your mind at any time about a telephone clinic appointment, please contact the skull base team.

What if I have any questions or require further information?

If you have any questions about telephone clinics, please contact Kate Burton, Consultant Radiographer in Neuro-Oncology, on 01223 216580 (Mon - Fri, 09:00 – 16:30) or bleep through the hospital switchboard on 01223 245151 (152489).