We are now offering video consultations to some of our patients for select clinics at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals.
A video consultation is an appointment that takes place between a patient and a clinician over video, rather than face-to-face or over the telephone. If you already have a telephone appointment scheduled with a clinic you may be given the option to have a video consultation instead, should you wish to have one. Patients who are given this option will have been identified by their clinical team as suitable for a video appointment.
Video consultations can present a range of benefits:
- See and interact with a clinician in a similar way to how you would in person
- Have your consultation in a place that is convenient to you
- Have your consultation via a smartphone, tablet or computer/laptop using the Attend Anywhere video platform.
Attend Anywhere is a secure web-based platform for patients with pre-arranged video consultations. Watch the video below to see how the service works.
If you are unable to or do not choose to access video consultations, we will telephone you instead. You do not need to contact the outpatients team or your clinician in advance to express your preference for a telephone or a video appointment.
How to use the Attend Anywhere video platform
If you choose to have a video consultation, you will be sent details of your appointment by letter, email or text message with a link to the Attend Anywhere video platform.
You can access the link on a smartphone, tablet or computer/laptop, providing it has a good internet connection, webcam, microphone and speakers. You can test your device and connection by pressing the ‘test call’ button that will appear on the page when you open the link. We recommend you do this well ahead of your appointment.
Attending your video consultation
We advise that you set up the video call a few minutes before the allocated time slot of your appointment. First, you will be taken through some simple steps to ensure that your equipment is set up correctly. Once the steps have been completed, you will be asked to enter your name and telephone number and read the terms and conditions. No information you enter will be stored. You will then enter the virtual waiting area of your clinic where your clinician will join you when they are ready.
The leaflets below offer guidance on attending your video consultation for your clinic. Please note: only patients who have been given a video appointment will be seen by a clinician through this means.
Patient leaflets
Frequently asked questions
You can access your video consultation on a smartphone, tablet or laptop/computer. You can use your device’s inbuilt microphone and camera, but some people find they get better call quality using an external headset and web camera. You will need to be connected to the internet through Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G or an ethernet connection.
It is a good idea to test your equipment before your appointment. You can do so by completing a ‘test call’ using the web link shared in your appointment letter.
The platform is accessed via a web browser and does not require any applications to be downloaded.
You can use either Google Chrome (for PC/Mac/Android devices) or Safari (for iOS devices and Macs).
Yes. You should let your clinician know if you have someone with you at the start of your appointment.
Through the Attend Anywhere platform, it is also possible to invite someone else into the video consultation, even if they are in a different location to you. If you would like to invite a family member, carer, friend or interpreter please provide your clinician the individual’s email address or mobile phone number at the start of your appointment. Your clinician will send them a message, with a link enabling them to join your appointment.
If you are running late for your consultation, please call us on 0330 128 8011 (Royal Brompton Hospital) or 01895 828 696 (Harefield Hospital). If you have not told us you are running late and are not in the waiting area at the time of your consultation the clinician will try to reach you on the phone number provided.
If you would like to reschedule your appointment, please call us on 0330 128 8011 (Royal Brompton Hospital) or 01895 828 696 (Harefield Hospital).
Patients do not use any data while waiting for a clinician to join them on their call. A 20-minute video consultation uses about 230MB of data on a mobile device, and 450 MB on a PC or laptop.
The exact amount will depend on the connection speed, and how many participants there are on the call.
If you lose connection during your call, try clicking the ‘refresh’ button and the consultation page will be refreshed. If this does not work, your clinician will try to reach you on the phone number provided.
If you are unable to or do not choose to access video consultations, we will telephone you instead. You do not need to contact the outpatients team or your clinician in advance to express your preference for a telephone or a video appointment.