You do not need to know your diagnosis before making an appointment. The aim of your first consultation is to understand your symptoms and work out what should happen next.
Before your visit
If possible, bring:
- A list of your medicines and allergies
- Any referral letter
- Reports from previous scans or tests
- A short note of your main questions
If you have had spinal imaging elsewhere, please contact us before your appointment so that the images can be requested for review.
During your consultation
Professor Bateman will ask about your symptoms, general health and how the problem affects you. An examination may help. He will review available imaging and discuss what it does, and does not, show.
You may leave with a treatment plan, or further tests may be needed before the options can be discussed fully. An injection or operation is not normally performed on the day of the first consultation.
After your visit
You should understand the likely cause of your symptoms, any uncertainties, the next steps and what to do if your condition changes. You will receive a letter from Professor Bateman summarising the assessment and a copy will normally be sent to your GP unless you ask us not to.