
A list of frequently asked questions about video consultations for patients.
A video consultation is an appointment that takes place between you and a clinician over video, instead of face-to-face or over the telephone.
There are lots of benefits to using video consultations, including:
The use of video consultations supported the NHS response to the COVID-19 pandemic by:
Some face-to-face appointments will be necessary. The decision on whether an appointment takes place face-to-face, on video or by telephone is taken by an expert clinician based on your individual care needs.
If you think you have COVID-19 you should cancel your face-to-face appointment and make sure you are following the official advice on the NHS website.
It is important that you let us know if you need to cancel your appointment, so that we can use the time to care for another patient.
Video consultations are suitable for many patients who do not need a physical examination and who are able to communicate via video. Your clinician will only invite you to a video consultation if they believe it is right for you.
Your consent is vital. If at any time you feel that you would like to end the video consultation, you can advise the clinician that you would like to end the video call and arrange another appointment.
Yes, the other person can be at your location or elsewhere. If the person is in the same location as you, please let the clinician know at the start of your appointment that you have someone with you.
The Attend Anywhere platform allows you to invite someone into your consultation, even if they are in a different location to you. Preferably, the clinician or service need to be made aware of your request prior to the appointment. At the start of your appointment, give the clinician the person’s email address or mobile phone number. The clinician will send them an instant message with a link so that they can join your appointment.
Video consultations are accessed via a web browser and do not require any applications to be downloaded. It may be necessary to download a web browser that supports video consultations, as mentioned above.
This quick guide and short video animation are available to support patients using video consultations. These resources are relevant to any video consultation technology and any clinical setting*.
The animation can also be accessed in Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Italian, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian and Urdu, as well as in British Sign Language. The quick guide is available to download on the NHS England website in the same languages.
* These are general guidance resources produced by NHS England and might not accurately match software or processes used by The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust.