Video appointments are consultations that take place between you and your health care professional over a video call, as opposed to face-to-face or over the telephone. We recognise that it isn't always easy or convenient to come to hospital for an appointment, and that some people need to attend several times as part of their care. Therefore, we offer some of our outpatient appointments via video calls.

Video consultations are recommended when we can achieve as much during an online appointment as we would face to face. It may work better for you, saving time and money, it is kinder to the environment and feedback shows that many patients prefer it. On the other hand, a video appointment may not be right if you need to undergo a procedure, or a physical examination.

Your clinician will assess and or discuss whether this choice is suitable for you and the care you need. If you have a face-to-face consultation booked but believe you would benefit from a video appointment instead, please speak to your clinician or contact the booking team.

Below are some FAQ’s which we hope will help with your video appointment:

You will need:

  • A device (laptop/computer/tablet or smartphone) with a web camera, speakers, and microphone.
  • A web-browser (eg. Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Firefox etc).
  • A good connection to the internet. We recommend connecting to your Wi-Fi. If you do not have access to a Wi-Fi connection, you can use your mobile internet data.
  • An Internet connection - A video call on Microsoft Teams will use a similar amount of data as Skype® or FaceTime®.

There are two ways to access your video appointment:

  • If you have signed up to My半岛体育Health Record, you can use the ‘join in’ button to connect with your clinician at the time of your video appointment.
  • Alternatively, a link to connect to your video appointment will be sent to your registered mobile on the day of the appointment. Click on the link and then follow the instructions to join your video appointment at the allocated time.  

My半岛体育Health Record offers personalised, secure online access to your medical details and allows you to manage and receive information about your health. You can also access your video appointment via Microsoft Teams.

If you don’t have a My半岛体育Health account, it is simple and easy to create one. You will receive a video appointment invitation in either a text message or email and in it there will be a My半岛体育Health Record link to sign up.

You can also request an activation link on the  or alternatively you can also contact us via email at fhft.myfrimleyhealthrecord@nhs.net.

For further information visit 

For a video appointment, we recommend setting up your technology in advance. 

To check everything is working, you can test your video call settings, by clicking on the  link.

Please try to connect to your video call early. As you click on the link received or the ‘join in’ button on My半岛体育Health Record, Microsoft Teams will open in a new window and you will be placed in a virtual lobby/waiting area until the clinician starts the call. 

It is a good idea to write down any questions for your health care professional prior to your appointment. We support the ‘Ask 3 Questions’ campaign - you can read more about it here: shared decision making - Ask 3 questions

My半岛体育Health Record, has a pre-questionnaire specific to your appointment and an opportunity for you to share your most up to date medication list prior to clicking the ‘join in’ button.

 

Please call us as soon as possible via the number stated on your appointment letter, so your video appointment can be offered to another patient.

If you are unable to connect, please call the number stated on your appointment letter as soon as possible. If your technical issues cannot be resolved, the team may arrange for clinician to call you on the number we have on your record instead.

If your call gets disconnected at any point during your appointment, please try to re-join by clicking on the video appointment button or link again. If this doesn't work, your clinician will call you on the number we have on your patient record, to minimise any further disruption. Therefore, it is important we have the most up to date contact details for you and that you also let your GP practice know if they change.

If you have an accessibility request, please inform the team on the number provided on your appointment letter, so we can make all reasonable adjustment to ensure you have a good experience. We have a translation and interpreting service which can be pre-booked within a couple of working days prior to your appointment. However, we would recommend you contact the team as soon as possible if you need this service.  

Just like a face-to-face appointment, your video appointment is private and confidential. Please do not record your video consultation or take a screenshot during your appointment. Sharing any recording on social media or other public domains is illegal.