What to expect at your first ENT appointment

The first visit is a consultation. It is not a commitment to a procedure, and it is not a test of whether you can describe symptoms in medical language. Ordinary words are the right ones.

Before you leave home

• A list of medicines, including sprays and anything you buy yourself.
• Hearing tests or scan reports you already have. Paper or a download is fine. Do not email medical files to the public address unless the clinic asks.
• A referral note if another doctor sent you.
• The name of the location you are actually going to. Apricity and the hospitals are different buildings.

In the room

You will be asked when it started, which side, and what you want to be different. The relevant part of the ear, nose or throat is examined. A camera may be used for the nose or the voice box. It is described before it happens. If a test cannot be done at that site on that day, you should be told, and a plan made, rather than discovering it at the desk.

What you should leave with

A sentence you understand: what was seen, what is still unknown, and what the next step is. That step might be nothing more than time, a medicine, a hearing test, or a second visit. If an operation is mentioned, it is a discussion, not a date, unless you have asked for one and the reasoning has been explained.

Fees are confirmed by the clinic when they contact you. The website does not take payment.