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Pre-operative assessment clinic

Cheltenham General Hospital

0300 422 2559

8.15am to 4pm, Monday to Friday

Gloucestershire Royal Hospital

0300 422 5722

8.15am to 4pm, Monday to Friday

Your pre-operative assessment is an opportunity to discuss the risks and benefits of surgery, identify any medical conditions and improve them before your operation.

On this page

Information:

This assessment is important to ensure it’s safe to proceed with your surgery. If you do not attend your pre-operative assessment, your surgery may be delayed or cancelled.

We recognise that sometimes patients have concerns about whether they still need their surgery, and sometimes change their minds whilst awaiting their operation. As operation slots are very limited it is always better to have these discussions before the day of surgery to avoid wasting both your time, but also taking away the opportunity for someone else to have their surgery.

If you would like to discuss with your surgical team if you are unsure about whether you still wish to go ahead with your surgery, please contact us and we will put you in touch with the right team who will be able to help.

Please contact your surgical secretary or admission team. Alternative contact switchboard on 0300 422 2222

Information:

Unable to attend pre-operative assessment?

If you are unwell or cannot make the appointment, please call us on 0300 422 4913 to reschedule your appointment.

Lifestyle changes

Many of the risks associated with surgery can be reduced by simple lifestyle changes, like:

  • quitting smoking
  • reducing how much alcohol you drink
  • increasing physical activity
  • losing weight

Free support with these lifestyle changes is available on the Healthy Lifestyles Gloucestershire website.

The Centre for Preoperative Care has resources and support

What's happens at your appointment?

A face-to-face appointment length will last for around 1 hour to assess your past medical history. We will take routine bloods and swabs with an ECG tracing of your heart if required. Please bring with you, your glasses, questions or concerns written down, details of next of kin, a list of current medications with strengths and how often you take them.

A telephone appointment length will last for about 30 minutes to assess your past medical history. We may contact you 15 minutes before or after your appointment time. Please ensure you have accurate height and weight measurements at hand as this is essential and can affect your surgery if not accurate.

After your appointment for pre-operative assessment.

If we discover any medical problems, we may contact you to arrange further treatments or refer you for further investigations before surgery. If you have high blood pressure or uncontrolled diabetes, we will advise you to contact your GP to have a check-up. These processes are to optimise you for surgery so you can be at your peak of health and recovery from surgery.

Preparation for surgery - reminder.

We will issue you with a leaflet and provide you with instructions to stop certain medications, please keep this in a safe place. Keeping this leaflet and information safe will help remind you what do to leading up to your surgical date. Otherwise, your surgery may be cancelled on the day.

Risks of cancellation. Please notify pre-operative assessment from any of the following:

  • A new medication is prescribed after your pre-assessment.
  • Recent visit to A&E.
  • new medical diagnosis
  • Pregnant
  • Being treated for a current infection (chest infection, urinary infection, skin infection)
  • Viral infections such as covid

Please get in touch with preoperative assessment on 0300 422 4700.

Location

Our pre-operative assessment clinics run from 8.15am to 6pm at both Cheltenham General and Gloucestershire Royal Hospitals:

Cheltenham General Hospital

St. Paul’s Wing Sandford Road
Cheltenham
GL53 7AN

You can contact us on 0300 422 2559 between 8.15am and 4pm. If you call after 4pm, you can leave a voicemail and someone will get back to you the following working day.

Gloucestershire Royal Hospital

Orchard Centre
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
GL1 3NN

You can contact us on 0300 422 5722 between 8.15am and 4pm. If you call after 4pm, you can leave a voicemail and someone will get back to you the following working day.

Preparation for discharge

You must plan your transport home as you will be unable to drive for 24 hours following your surgery. You should arrange for a relative or friend to collect you from the unit and for an adult to stay with you for 24 hours following the surgery if you are a day-case patient. You must not be alone during these 24 hours.

While in the hospital the nurses and doctors will be busy aiming to ensure you are suitable to be discharged home. If you are having surgery in Gloucester Royal Hospital, please expect you may be transferred to the Discharge Lounge on the day of discharge so that your family can collect you. There are dedicated collection spaces right by the Discharge Lounge and there is no charge for parking.

For more information on the discharge lounge Discharge Lounge at Gloucestershire Royal Hosptial

Map of discharge lounge Discharge_lounge_GRH_location

Patient Information Leaflets

Pre-Assessment leaflets

Orthopaedics

Colorectal

Urology

Gynaecology

Vascular

ENT

Renal

Patient information leaflets

Preparation for surgery at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital or Cheltenham General Hospital
GHPI0251_10_24

Also of interest

NHS video calling
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