Royal Bournemouth Hospital

Please click here to view the facilities for the Royal Bournemouth Hospital

Poole Hospital

Please click here to view the facilities for Poole Hospital

Christchurch Hospital

Please click here to view the facilities for Christchurch Hospital

Outpatient information

We run outpatients clinics across the Royal Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch hospitals.

Many of these appointments are now offered virtually as video or phone consultations. You can read more about this here.

We are also running an outpatient assessment clinic at the Dorset Health Village in the Dolphin Centre in Poole. Details of that here.

Additionally, in Dorset, our hospitals, GPs, community and mental health providers, and commissioning organisations are working together with the ambition to fundamentally change the way our outpatient services are delivered. You can read more about this exciting project here.

On average nationally, outpatient appointments (where a patient is referred to a hospital but not admitted) account for 85% of all hospital-based activity. Last year, nearly one million outpatient appointments took place in Dorset, which equates to approximately 15 million miles in travelling to and from hospital.

If you have been referred to any of our hospitals you will be sent an appointment letter containing information about your outpatient appointment. This will give you details of the time, date and location of your appointment.

To help us to tackle the large waiting lists caused by the Covid-19 pandemic we routinely contact patients waiting for appointments or procedures. Increasingly, this is by text message (SMS), but can also be by letter or phone call. You can find more information here.

Planning for your care and waiting times

We know how important it is for you to have your outpatient appointment as soon as possible, and here at UHD we are doing all that we can to reduce our waiting times.

Each speciality has different waits, and to help you plan, we can advise you of the likely time between your GP referral and you being seen by the specialist.

By reviewing the table below, you will be able to find out the average number of weeks between referral and your appointment with a specialist. This will include urgent/emergency and routine appointments.

We can also share with you the number of weeks that 95% of our patients had to wait for their appointment in each specialty, to give you a realistic indicator.

An example is shown below:

• In the Breast Specialty, the average wait between referral from GP to being seen at outpatients was two weeks.
• 95% of patients were seen within eight weeks of GP referral.
• Therefore, a patient might typically expect to wait between two and seven weeks for their outpatient appointment.

Data at August 2026

We encourage you to look at this information before contacting your GP or hospital for an update about any outpatient appointment you are waiting for.

The NHS has recently launched the My Planned Care Patient Digital Platform which also gives you helpful advice and support whilst you wait.

Outpatient clinics are held in the following locations.

Community and other transport options

If you are not eligible for NHS-funded patient transport, a number of alternative transport options may be available to help you attend your hospital appointment.

Public transport

You may be able to travel to your appointment by bus, train, or coach.

For information on routes, connections, journey planning, and timetables, contact Traveline South West:

Telephone: 0871 200 2233
Website: www.travelinesw.com

Reduced-rate taxi service

To help patients attend their appointments and avoid potential parking delays, PRC Streamline offers a discounted fixed-price taxi service to and from:

• Royal Bournemouth Hospital
• Poole Hospital
• Christchurch Hospital
• Other University Hospitals Dorset outpatient sites

To book, call 01202 373737 and ask for a Discounted Fixed Price Fare.

Community transport schemes

Local community transport providers and volunteer driver schemes may be able to assist with travel to healthcare appointments.

BCP Council residents

Information on community transport and volunteer car schemes operating within Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole can be found on the BCP Council website. Volunteer community cars scheme | BCP

Dorset Council residents

Information on community transport and volunteer car schemes operating across Dorset can be found in the Dorset Community Transport Directory. Dorset Community Transport Directory - Dorset Council

Please note that services vary by location and may have their own eligibility criteria.

Accessible community transport

If you require wheelchair-accessible transport, the following services may be able to help:

South East Dorset

• SEDCAT Accessible Transport Accessible Transport in South East Dorset –
  Tel: 01202 534027

West Dorset

• Ablecabs (Weymouth)
  Tel: 01305 334455

East Dorset

• Wheelchair-accessible taxi services operate across the area. Patients are advised to contact local taxi operators directly to discuss availability and accessibility requirements.

Volunteer car services

Volunteer driver schemes can provide a valuable transport option for patients who may have difficulty accessing public transport or arranging alternative travel.

Volunteer drivers often use their own vehicles and may charge a mileage rate or small contribution towards travel costs.

Your GP practice may be able to provide information about local volunteer transport services operating in your area.

We are aware of volunteer car schemes operating in the following locations:

• Christchurch Neighbour Car (covering BH23 postcodes) - 01202 989632
• Ringwood Good Neighbours - 07933 202112
• Verwood Neighbour Car - 01202 826764
• West Parley, Neighbour Car - 01202 890173
• Wimborne Neighbour Car - 01202 849360

Car Share Dorset

Car Share Dorset is a free online service that helps match drivers and passengers making similar journeys across Dorset.

The scheme uses the Liftshare platform to calculate a suggested passenger contribution based on journey length and HM Revenue & Customs approved mileage rates. Contributions are designed to help drivers recover costs rather than make a profit, helping to ensure personal motor insurance is not affected.

For more information or to register, visit the Car Share Dorset website. Car share with trusted, reviewed and rated Liftshare.com members

Please note: University Hospitals Dorset does not endorse or guarantee any external transport provider. Patients are advised to satisfy themselves that any transport arrangements meet their individual needs before booking.

Help with travel costs (HTCS)

Patients (and sometimes their escort) who are under the care of a consultant or who have been referred by their GP, dentist or optician may be entitled to help with travel, parking and toll costs. Help is available to anyone who receives:

• Income support
• Income based Job Seekers Allowance
• Income related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• An NHS Tax Credit exemption certificate
• Universal Credit (not all claimants, check on www.nhs.uk)
• On a low income and is named on certificate HC2 or HC3 - to apply for a certificate, complete form HC1

You can reclaim the cost of your journey by post, within 3 months of the journey To find out more, call the national helpline on 0300 330 1343, and ask for leaflet “Help with Health Costs” or visit www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/

Travelling to your appointment if you have a medical need

Non-Emergency Patient Transport

Most people should travel to and from hospital independently by private or public transport, or with the help of relatives or friends. NHS funded patient transport is reserved for when it is considered essential to ensuring your safety and based on medical need.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/B1244-nepts-eligibility-criteria.pdf

If you have a medical condition that means you cannot travel to the hospital using public or private transport, including self-funded taxis or wheelchair taxis, or you require the assistance of ambulance staff during your journey, then you may be eligible to use the Dorset or Hampshire Patient Transport Services. There is no charge for using the services, but you will be required to contact them to check you are medically eligible.

For Dorset patients please contact the Patient Transport Advisory Centre (PTAC)                    

Tel: 01278 727457

Open 08:30am – 6:30pm Monday to Friday

Please follow this link to find out more information: NEPTS – NHS Dorset

For Hampshire patients booking for the first time please call 0300 123 9833 to create a master record and book transport for your next appointment. You can then use the online patient transport portal called PTS Patient Zone, to book subsequent journeys.

• See details for Hampshire patients here