“What should I bring? What should I ask? Will I have my treatment today?”
These are the common questions running through a persons head once their consultation is booked.
However it really isn’t as daunting as it seems.
Chiltern Medical Clinic has conducted an interview with Nurse Gina Stokes, who has given an in-depth insight into what really happens at a consultation and why you should ignore your pre-appointment nerves!
Q: Do patients need to bring anything to their consultation?
A: Nothing at all, unless we ask them too which is usually over the phone, by email or even in person depending on how their consultation was booked. I’d always recommended bringing a trustworthy friend just in case you forget a few things that you’re told during the consult. At least you’d have your friend to rack your memory!
Q: Is there any pre-planning needed?
A: I’d advise to draw up a list of questions a few days before your consultation. You might think of a new one each day so make sure you jot these down. Most of these questions will probably be answered throughout your consult anyway so leave them until the end.
Q: Have you ever come across a patient who’s extremely nervous?
A: All the time! It’s probably because they fear a consultation from lack of knowledge! Hopefully this interview will put their minds at ease. But yes, depending on what treatment you are planning, you made need to remove your clothing or share some intimate information. We are used to hearing and seeing things everyday so please feel completely comfortable as were not here to judge we here to help you gain the results you’re after!
Q: What type of mindset would you advise patients to adopt when coming for their consultation?
A: I always recommend a positive, realistic expectation of what they’re going to achieve for their end result. For example if you’re having a Laser Hair Removal Consultation, after purchasing 6 treatments for your arms, your hair won’t magically disappear forever. Top up treatments are necessary but they may be once or twice a year. All in all, don’t think that once a treatments done, your rid of that particular issue. This isn’t always the case and every individual is different.
Q: So I’ve walked into the Clinic, and I check in and wait for my appointment. What happens once you come to collect me?
A: If you are a new patient of ours, the receptionist will give you a few forms to fill out. These relate to your personal details i.e. name and address, medical history and a consent form. This consent form is only agreeing to the fact that you understand the facts and figures around the treatment and is not a contract into having the treatment itself. Filling out these forms to the best of your ability is really important for the therapist to make a confident decision regarding your treatment.
We come into the reception area and call out your name. We never openly broadcast what treatment you are coming in for as we are extremely careful about our patients’ confidentiality. Myself or another therapist will walk with you to the treatment room and take a seat at the desk. You then discuss your issues, why you want the treatment and whether you have had the area treated before. Carefully explaining the outcome you expect to achieve is necessary for both you and us. We’re aware of what you want and we can base this around the outcome we’re certain you’ll receive. This may or may not be a satisfying answer; however we’ll never give you false hope. Depending on the treatment, we have before and after pictures readily available of patients we have treated personally for the same treatment. These will indicate the brilliant results they have received and hopefully will give you more of a positive feeling towards going ahead with the treatment.
Sometimes depending on the treatment, we’ll conduct a patch test to see how you and your skin react. This is necessary to see if we can even go ahead with the treatment! We never have or never will pressurise you to make a decision about whether you want to go ahead and book a treatment. Going home and mulling things over, perhaps talking to a friend or family member about how you felt about the consultation, the information you’ve gained and how you’ll feel after is a practice we definitely praise. We provide an information sheet which will cover majority of the topics we would have discussed during the consultation. This may also have the pricing which would have been discussed noted down too.
Your consultation will last approximately 20-30 minutes.
If you have any other further questions for me or another therapist, you’re more than welcome to ring the Clinic or email us.
