Appointment preparation checklist: documents, authorisation and family handover

1. Before the appointment: check the booking and documents

Arrangements differ between hospitals and clinics. Follow the appointment notice and the relevant staff's instructions. The official guides below are references, not uniform rules for every clinic.

• Check the appointment date, location, specialty or clinic name, and reporting time on the notice.
• Reporting time may differ from consultation time. Allow time for waiting and moving around the hospital.
• Prepare the identity documents, appointment notice and relevant forms requested by the hospital or clinic.
• Prepare current medicine information and relevant reports for healthcare professionals, and bring them as instructed by the clinic. Ask the clinic if you are unsure what to bring.
• Bring documents to the appointment only as required by the hospital or clinic; do not submit them through this page.

2. Before departure: confirm escort scope, authorisation and transport

An escort provides only non-clinical support within the confirmed scope. They do not automatically have access to medical records, make medical decisions for the patient or sign consent documents.

• Confirm with the patient what information may be shared with the escort and family.
• If help is needed to collect documents or medicine, or receive general procedural information, ask the clinic about the necessary authorisation or documents first.
• Agree on the meeting point, main contact and what may be included in family updates.
• Transport requires separate enquiry and confirmation. For wheelchair transport, also check the vehicle, pick-up and drop-off points and wheelchair equipment.

3. On the day: registration, waiting and non-clinical hospital processes

On arrival, register according to the appointment notice and hospital instructions. An escort can help with non-clinical hospital processes, while medical questions and decisions remain with the patient or legally authorised person and healthcare professionals.

• Show or check appointment documents with staff and confirm the registration or waiting area.
• Ask hospital staff directly if there are questions about documents, times or locations.
• Within the confirmed scope, help with queues, wayfinding and reaching examination areas, payment counters or the pharmacy.
• An escort may record or pass on general procedural information, but should not independently interpret a condition, medicine directions or medical instructions.

4. Before leaving: check documents and the family handover

Check next steps with clinic staff before leaving. Individual procedures follow the hospital or clinic's arrangements.

• Check for a next appointment date, examination notice, receipt or other documents to take away.
• If authorised to help collect medicine, follow the hospital's procedure. Healthcare or pharmacy professionals should explain how to use it.
• Give agreed non-clinical updates to family, such as registration completed, clinic departure or waiting for transport.
• Confirm return transport and the final handover location. Do not assume an escort request includes transport.

5. A family-handover template to copy

Copy this format and include only the information needed for the arrangement: Appointment date and reporting time: Hospital/clinic and meeting point: Confirmed escort assistance: Who prepares and returns documents: Main contact and contact method: Recipient of general post-appointment procedural information (authorisation required): What may be included in family updates: Matters for the patient or legally authorised person: Transport: arranged independently / to be confirmed separately Final handover location: Do not add identity-card numbers, diagnoses or complete medical records before confirming the recipient and purpose. This is a template for your own use; this page does not collect or store anything you fill in.

Frequently asked questions

Is reporting time the consultation time?

Not necessarily. Reporting time may differ from the actual consultation time. Follow the appointment notice and the latest instructions from the relevant clinic staff.

Can an escort access medical records or make medical decisions for the patient?

Not automatically. Access to information, document handling and relaying general procedural information must respect the patient's wishes, required authorisation and hospital rules. Diagnosis, treatment consent and other medical decisions remain with the patient, legally authorised person and healthcare professionals.

Does submitting an escort request include transport?

No. An escort request does not automatically confirm transport. If transport is needed, separately enquire about and confirm the vehicle, wheelchair equipment, time, charges and assistance.