When you arrive you will be welcomed by a receptionist who will hand you a numbered card, a pack that includes information on the service provided, a confidentiality document explaining what happens to your personal information, and a registration form. The receptionist will ask you to take a seat until it is your turn to be registered. You can let the receptionist know if you need help with filling out the registration form. Please complete as much of this as you can.

We do our best to ensure that you will be seen as close to the appointment time you have been given. Unfortunately there are occasions where that might not happen. If you attend for an appointment and have waited 30 minutes and have not been called, please notify a member of reception who will be able to find out what is happening for you. As we have more than one clinic running at a time, you may be taken after a person who arrived later than you.

We know that there are occasions when patients may be late for their appointment. If you arrive late for your appointment we cannot guarantee that we will be able to honour the full length of your original appointment. When you arrive late for your appointment the receptionist will arrange for a member of the clinical team to come and speak to you. You may have to wait until someone is available. For some clinics and procedures we are unable to see you if you are late. If this happens we will arrange an alternative appointment with you.

Most of our services are staffed by a team of clinicians, who might be doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, counsellors or psychologists, depending on the service. All our staff will introduce themselves to you when you are called into the clinical room.

If you have a preference to see a particular gender of clinician please let us know when you are booking your appointment. We will try to honour that request whenever we can but cannot guarantee it.

Sandyford staff may ask personal and sensitive questions so that they can manage your care effectively during your visit. Staff are not there to judge you. Anything you say will be kept confidential, unless you are being referred to another service with your permission, or in very rare situations if the staff need to share information for your own protection. What you tell our staff isn't going to shock or embarrass them, but you need to be honest so that they know how best to treat, support or advise you.

We will hold an electronic record of your visit that is confidential to Sandyford services. It will only be shared with your GP or other services if you give permission.

You may need to provide a urine or blood sample. Some tests require swabs to be taken from your genitals and, depending on what type of sex you have had, from your throat and rectum. This can be a little uncomfortable but the clinical staff are experts at doing these tests so you are in good hands. Some tests may require the doctor to look at your genitals. If you are more comfortable with a doctor of the same gender please let us know when you are booking your appointment.

Sandyford aims to be accessible and offer you the services you require when you attend. It is our recommendation that you do not bring your children/dependants when attending for an appointment and that you arrange for someone else to look after them.   We wish to make your attendance at our services as easy as possible and for your to feel comfortable throughout your appointment.

During a sexual health consultation, we need to ask you a number of questions about your sexual history and some of these are of a very sensitive nature which may not be suitable to discuss in front of children/dependants.  A consultation room is also a medical environment with lots of equipment that may pose a hazard, particularly for young children/toddlers, who would be unsupervised if you require an examination/procedure.  It therefore means if we are unable to complete the consultation appropriately and safely we may not be able to proceed with your appointment when you attend.

Appointments that are more likely to be affected and will need to be re-arranged are:

•  IUD or IUS insertion (coil)
• Gynaecology procedures (biopsies and coils)
• Vasectomy

This is because there is a higher risk of you becoming unwell either during or after the procedure and we do not have a facility to look after your children/dependant if you are unable to do so. 

Our clinicians’ priority when you attend Sandyford is to you as our patient and we must ensure you are safe and well at all times.

If the appointment does not proceed your clinician will ensure that when you leave you will have a clear plan of what will happen next.