Acute Referrals
If you have an urgent problem requiring immediate vascular assessment, your GP will refer you acutely to the Vascular Service where you will initially be seen at Auckland City Hospital Emergency Department by a Vascular Registrar who will decide whether you need to be admitted to hospital. Investigations will be performed as required, and the more senior members of the team involved where necessary. Other acute/urgent referrals may be seen in the next vascular outpatient clinic.
Non-acute Referrals
If the problem is not urgent, the GP will write a referral to the Vascular Service requesting an appointment in the outpatient clinic. One of the vascular consultants reviews these referrals to determine the priority.
When you come to the Vascular Outpatient Department you will be seen by a member of the Vascular Services Team who will ask questions about your illness and examine you to determine or confirm the diagnosis. This process may also require a number of tests (e.g. blood tests, x-rays, scans etc). Sometimes this can all be done during one clinic visit, but for some conditions this will take several follow-up appointments. Occasionally some tests are arranged even before you are seen at the hospital to try speed up the process.
Once a diagnosis has been made, the medical staff will discuss treatment options with you. They will write to your GP with advice and may or may not arrange for you to attend a follow-up clinic.
