image
21 July

Can you discharge yourself from the hospital at any time? Yes. You can discharge yourself from hospital anytime. Just ask the nurses and you can leave. Remember a hospital is not a prison and you can discharge yourself anytime. But it is best to do it with the doctors and nurses agreement. If the medical […]

Read More
image
21 July

What happens when you are discharged from hospital?  Here’s what you can expect when it is time to leave hospital. All of the below should happen naturally. But as it does not in the hurly-burly flow of a hospital ward, means that you have a role in making sure good things (like below) happen. 1. […]

Read More
image
21 July

What does the phrase ‘medically fit for discharge’ mean? The phrase ‘medically fit for discharge’ means that you have been assessed as no longer needing medical treatment in hospital, and that you’re ready to be discharged. You may be able to go straight home. Or, if it’s likely that you’ll need some support before you […]

Read More
image
21 July

What happens when you see a hospital consultant? In this article, we will describe what happens when you go to a hospital consultant for a face-to-face appointment. Let’s start with the basics. Making an appointment with a consultant In the UK’s NHS you cannot refer yourself to a consultant. For a first appointment, you need […]

Read More
image
21 July

10 interesting facts about GPs In this article, we will describe 10 interesting facts about GPs. Understanding these facts will lead you to having better care, not just seeing things from their point of view. 1. Your doctor would like to give you more time Most GPs provide 10 minutes for an appointment. Although this […]

Read More
image
21 July

Can I refer myself to hospital in the UK? Short answer is .. no, not in the UK .. for non-emergency or urgent illnesses. In the NHS, for most conditions, your GP is your first point of contact. In this way they are gatekeeper of the NHS. Your GP will decide whether you need to see  […]

Read More
image
21 July

What is a NHS hospital manager (and what do they do)? What is a hospital manager? A hospital manager is an important health professional, whose role is to ‘manage’ (i.e. organise) all aspects of a hospital. Their responsibilities are broad in scope and include maintaining: Clinical activity (getting through the work) Performance (against national and local […]

Read More
image
21 July

What is a hospital consultant? They are the most senior grade of hospital doctor and are responsible for leading a team. A GP can refer you to one and they will see you in an NHS outpatient clinic, or do an operation or procedure on you. Or, if you are admitted to the hospital in an emergency, you […]

Read More
image
21 July

What is a registrar? A registrar is a doctor in the middle of their training. This is the stage of training, after being a junior doctor, and before being a hospital consultant (aka ‘a boss’). This article is about hospital based registrars who wants to be hospital consultants long-term. But what is a registrar? Registrars and […]

Read More
image
21 July

What is a junior doctor? All ‘junior doctors’ are fully qualified doctors that may treat you in hospital or at your GP surgery – and may save your life. But they are now known as ‘resident doctors’ (see below). This term also includes 2 more senior groups, previously called ‘registrars’ and ‘specialty doctors’. A junior […]

Read More