The patient hotline for elective care was established to field enquiries from patients who are on an elective management pathway at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (awaiting new or follow-up outpatient appointment, diagnostic or elective admission) and are concerned that their condition or symptoms are deteriorating. Patients may have had their treatment postponed as part of the response to the Covid-19 outbreak or simply be awaiting their first appointment or next steps in their treatment.
The aim of the hotline is to:
- avoid patients having to return to their GP to raise concerns about their condition or symptoms with a view to expediting care
- ensure there is clear route in for enquiries where patients are concerned about their condition
- help keep patients safe whilst waiting for treatment as all enquiries and concerns will be assessed by a clinician
The hotline can be contacted by phone on 0800 0357777 or by email to rcht.cornwall.patienthotline@nhs.net. Enquiries are then directed to the appropriate specialty for clinical review and appropriate action.
If symptoms are unchanged since referral and patients purely want to know about the waiting times, the Referral to Treatment (RTT) current waiting times are now available on the RCHT website – https://www.royalcornwall.nhs.uk/visiting-hospitals/outpatients/im-waiting-for-an-outpatient-appointment/