Your child's outpatient appointment
The PCH Outpatient Department provides a range of outpatient services for children and adolescents referred by General Practitioners (GP), specialists and other healthcare professionals.
Managing your appointments
Once your child’s referral has been accepted, you will receive an appointment letter in the mail with the appointment time and the location of the clinic you will be attending. Please be aware that the wait time for an appointment varies, depending on the priority allocated by the specialty doctors.
48 hours before your appointment you will receive an text or SMS reminding you of your child's outpatient appointment.
If you can't attend your appointment and need to cancel or reschedule, or you have forgotten when or where your appointment is, please call Outpatient Direct.
If you or your child have cold and flu-like symptoms, are COVID positive or close contacts you need to discuss this with your treating team prior to coming to PCH.
To cancel, reschedule or confirm your child's appointment
Call Outpatient Direct
1300 855 275
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Please note: Some specialities may require you to contact them directly to manage your appointment. This will be detailed in your appointment letter, or when you call Outpatients Direct.
Manage My Care app
![Manage My Care logo](/~/media/Images/Hospitals/PCH/Page-Images/For-Patients-and-Visitors/Outpatients-appointment/Manage-My-Care-logo.jpg?h=213&w=300&hash=4DC87822C5CFF34B9E4052A4C2288510)
The WA health system’s first patient-facing app, Manage My Care, is now available for outpatients at PCH.
Manage My Care is a free app and web portal that helps parents, carers and patients manage their outpatient appointments and referrals. The app allows you to update your contact details, request to reschedule, confirm or cancel upcoming outpatient appointments for some specialties as well as access details about your appointments. Manage My Care can be downloaded as a free app from the App Store or Google Play.
For more information, visit the page on HealthyWA.
Preparing for your appointment
Please refer to your child's appointment letter for your appointment time and the location of the clinic you will be attending.
Allow two to three hours for the appointment. Some appointments may take longer if you need to see several different health professionals and have x-rays, dressings or plasters.
Talking to your child about coming to the hospital will help prepare them for their appointment. Take a look at our videos about coming to PCH below.
Interpreter Services
![Interpreter logo](/~/media/Images/Hospitals/PCH/Page-Images/For-Patients-and-Visitors/Coming-to-Emergency/Welcome/Interpreter-logo.png?h=150&w=150&hash=3D99E07715ACE3ABC95E45140B82D217)
PCH provides an interpreter service for children and families who cannot effectively communicate in English. This includes people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, Aboriginal people and Deaf or hard of hearing people who communicate in Auslan.
If you have any difficulties communicating with our staff in English, you can ask for an interpreter to attend your outpatient appointment, or at any time.
Call the PCH Interpreter Service on 6456 4724 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday to request an interpreter.
Find out more about the PCH Interpreter Service and how to request assistance
Reschedule if you are unwell
If you, your child or anyone visiting PCH is feeling unwell or displaying the following symptoms, please do not attend the appointment and call Outpatient Direct on 1300 855 275 to cancel and reschedule:
- flu like symptoms (fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat)
- vomiting or diarrhoea
- generalised unexplained rash.
What should I bring?
- Children must be accompanied by their primary caregiver (parent or legal guardian)
- Outpatient appointment letter
- Any relevant x-rays or pathology reports
- Child Health Record
- Medicare card and any other concession cards
- An iPad or book is good to bring while you are in the waiting room
- A list of any questions you or your child might have for your child’s health professional.
How to check in for your appointment
You can then check in for your appointment at one of our self check in kiosks.
Self check-in kiosks
PCH has electronic check-in kiosks for outpatient appointments. They are located at:
- Ground level: the main entrance (in front of the information desk), and the northern entrance (near Kulunga Moort Mia – the Aboriginal Family Lounge) and near Clinic C
- Level 1: outside Clinics D and F
- Level 4: outside Clinic L
Checking in
![Mum with kids and a PCH Volunteer at the Wayfinding kiosk](/~/media/Images/Hospitals/PCH/Page-Images/For-Patients-and-Visitors/Outpatients-appointment/157-Families.jpg)
Checking in for an Outpatient appointment is like checking in for a flight at one of our self-check in kiosks. You will need your appointment letter or Medicare card. There are Volunteers available nearby to help you if you need.
It is important to read each screen as you complete the self-check in.
- Please check that your address and phone number is correct
- If not, you will need to update your details with the clinic clerk to ensure that you receive future clinic letters and SMS messages
- Please check your General Practitioner (GP) details
- If not, you will need to update the details with the clinic clerk to ensure that your GP receives clinic letters from your doctor and other health professionals
- If you are attending a ‘Fracture Clinic’, you may be directed to Medical Imaging first so that your child can have an x-ray before attending the clinic.
Once you have checked in, you will receive a ticket and be directed to your clinic.
If you have multiple appointments on the same day, you will use the same ticket number for all appointments.
Your ticket number and room number will be displayed on TV screens in the waiting area of your clinic when the health professional is ready to see you.
It’s important to let your clinic’s reception clerks know if you want to leave the area so they can send you a SMS message when it’s time to return for your child’s appointment.
Calling the ticket numbers
![Clinic B reception desk](/~/media/Images/Hospitals/PCH/Page-Images/For-Patients-and-Visitors/Outpatients-appointment/Clinic-B-waiting_0N8A2238.jpg)
© Philip Gostelow
While you are waiting, there may be several clinics running at the same times the ticket numbers may not be called in order. This does not mean that you have missed your appointment.
Things to do at PCH
While you’re at PCH, you can visit:
Take a look at
Things to do brochure (PDF 1.25MB) for more information.
If you leave the clinic waiting area, please let the reception staff know