Referral and appointment information

Your GP must refer you using the NHS e-Referral Service (formerly known as Choose and Book) addressed to Birmingham Women’s Hospital. Referrals should be directed to the specialist menopause clinic otherwise a general gynaecology clinic is arranged.

We are a specialist multidisciplinary team, which means you will not necessarily see the same consultant, clinician or specialist nurse at each appointment. Once effective treatment has been established, you will be discharged back to the care of your GP. This is often possible within one to two appointments over a six month time period.

Please note if you miss your appointment you may need a new referral from your GP. If you are unable to attend an appointment and you are able to inform us in advance, we can reallocate this appointment to other patients who are waiting to be seen.

If you need to change or cancel your appointment, please call our appointments team on the number on your appointment letter.

Telephone appointments

In some instances, you may be offered a telephone appointment. Please allow a one-hour window from the time of your appointment for availability. Only accept this appointment if you:

  • Have access to a phone, preferably a mobile number
  • Have registered your number with the hospital
  • Will accept an unknown or withheld number
  • Will be in a suitable environment to talk
  • Are able to converse in English.

If you cannot make the appointment you must reschedule by contacting the appointment office. If we cannot contact you after two attempts you will be sent an appointment to be seen back at the hospital. Please note, there is no number for you to call back on. We cannot call international numbers.

Post-menopausal bleeding

Post-menopausal bleeding (PMB) may occur twelve months after your last menstrual period (LMP) or after being on continuous combined HRT for six months or more.

If you have post-menopausal bleeding, although the risk is small, we need to exclude endometrial abnormalities, pre-cancerous or cancerous changes. Your GP must refer you to the urgent PMB clinic where an ultrasound and biopsy or hysteroscopy are performed. We aim to see you within two weeks of receiving the referral. The majority of women will not have endometrial cancer, but this must be excluded.