How do video appointments work?

Step 1

You will receive an appointment notification by text or email.

Your text message or email notification will tell you that your appointment will be a video consultation. It will also state the date and time of your appointment.

Click the drdoctor.thirdparty.nhs.uk/UHB link on your text message or email to login to your patient portal and view information about your appointment.

Step 2

Check you have what you will need for your video consultation.

For the appointment, you will need:

• asmartphone, tablet or computer with a camera and speaker (these are usually built into your device)
  • We recommend using a laptop or desktop computer for the best experience
• a good connection to the Internet. We recommend using Wi-Fi where possible which may have a better connection and will not use up your mobile data allowance
• a quiet, well-lit room where you will not be disturbed
  • If you are by a bright light, like a window, sit so the light is on your face, and not behind you
  • Using headphones will make it easier to hear your clinician and will help to cancel out any background noise
• a table or surface to prop your device on, so your camera stays steady during the call

Please note: DrDoctor video does not work in Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) and you will have to use another browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge.

Step 3

We will send you a text message reminder one to two hours before your appointment with a secure link to your video consultation.

Step 4

Click the secure link a few minutes before your appointment to launch your private video consultation waiting room.

We recommend that you join a few minutes before so you can test your audio and video before your clinician joins.

Step 5

Please wait for your clinician to join you in the virtual consultation room.

Occasionally there might be a short delay and your appointment might not run at the planned time. This might be because the clinician needs to spend a little longer with another patient. If this happens, the clinician will try to let you know as soon as possible (this may be through a pop-up chat message while you're in the waiting room. If there are significant delays, we will contact you by telephone).

You will see a "You are in the waiting room" message when you are in the waiting room.

Step 6

If there are any problems with the video platform your clinician will contact you be telephone. Please ensure you have provided us with your number, so we can get in touch with you if we need to.