Patients in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough with queries or concerns around a hospital or community services appointment they are waiting for can now contact a new Patient Helpdesk.

The COVID-19 pandemic has added to the strain on all NHS services. As a result, waiting list times for outpatient and specialist appointments and procedures have increased for everybody, which can be unsettling and cause additional worry.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Patient Helpdesk has been set up to provide assistance, updates and support, for example, advice on likely waiting times, helping to navigate NHS treatment pathways or to provide reassurance on the next steps in treatment or care.

Open Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm, patients can contact the freephone helpdesk on 0800 048 5800 if they have queries regarding their:

• hospital or community outpatient appointment
• appointment for hospital tests (eg scans)
• date for an operation or other treatment
• follow-up from your hospital team

All patients contacting the service must already have been referred by their GP or a Community Service for their appointment.