Information: A summary
- The early health check is an online form about your health and lifestyle that helps us plan your surgery and make sure you are fit for surgery.
- We send the form out every three months to check for any changes to your health.
- The form is optional – if you do not want to complete it, you may ignore it. You may still receive a text every three months to complete.
- If you need support completing the form, please contact the team via email or telephone and we will organise a telephone appointment to complete it with you.
What is the early health check form?
The early health check is an online form that you complete through a platform called Doctor Dr. The form will ask you about your health, lifestyle, and support needs.
Not everyone will be sent a form to complete, but you are more likely to get it if you:
- are having a procedure/surgery under general anaesthetic (GA)
- are expected to be staying in hospital for at least one night after your procedure/surgery
- are under certain surgical teams (e.g., thoracics, ENT etc.)
What do you do with my answers?
Your answers help us:
- keep up to date with how you are doing while you are waiting for surgery
- spot health problems early that might cause delays, and prevent those delays from happening
- make sure you see the right medical professionals at your pre-assessment appointment
- make sure it is safe for you to have your surgery
- give you the right support before, during, and after surgery
We also help you access free NHS support, including help to stop smoking, alcohol support, weight management, and support for carers/patients with carers.
We follow national and local guidelines to check whether test results are safe for surgery. If a result needs attention, we may contact you and your GP about this. We most often write to patients about their diabetes, hypertension, or anaemia. This helps improve your health before surgery and reduces the chance of your surgery being delayed.
How often do I need to complete this form?
To help us keep track of any changes to your health, we will send this form to you every three months while you are waiting for surgery.
I can’t access the form or need help completing it
If you need support completing the form, please contact the team via email or telephone and we will organise a telephone appointment to complete it with you.
This service is very busy so please only use it if you cannot complete the form yourself.
I am not expecting any surgery/have already had my surgery
If you are not expecting surgery or have had your surgery done at our or another hospital, please contact the hospital switchboard and ask to be put in touch with your consultant’s secretary.
If you have tried contacting them and do not get a response, please contact the team via email and we can chase this for you.
Do I have to complete this form?
You have the right to chose whether or not to complete this form.
- Choosing not to complete the form will not affect your care, position on the waiting list, or access to surgery.
- If you choose not to complete the form, you do not need to do anything.
- We will not contact you unless you ask us to or your clinical team needs to follow something up.
If you do choose to complete it, the information you provide will help us support and plan your surgery safely.
Common questions
How do I tell you that nothing has changed with my health?
If it the first time you have been sent this form, it is important you complete it in full. After this, if nothing has changed in your health since, you can select the option at the start of the form that tells us that nothing has changed with your health. This will take you straight to the end of the form to submit it. This only takes a few seconds and helps us keep your information up to date.
I made a mistake on my form
Once submitted, the form cannot be edited by anyone. Do not worry – our team checks your answers against your records and will follow-up with you if needed.
I want to tell you more about my health
This form does not include everything about your health. If you want to share more information, you can do this at your pre-assessment where we will discuss your health in more detail.
Have you received my form?
Our team will contact you if there are any problems with your form. If you have submitted a form and not heard from our team, you can assume we have received it.
I have received a letter or text about my health – does this affect my surgery?
Our aim is to help you be as health as possible before surgery.
- For urgent or cancer surgery – you are likely to go ahead as planned
- For non-urgent surgery – you may be delayed if your tests results at pre-assessment show that it would be unsafe to proceed.
- Unless told so by your consultant or another medical professional at our hospital, quitting smoking, managing your weight, and reducing your alcohol intake is not required before surgery.
Is this my pre-assessment appointment?
No. This is not a pre-assessment appointment, and you will still need an appointment with a nurse and/or anaesthetist before your surgery can go ahead.
When is my pre-assessment/surgery date?
Our team does not manage appointments or dates for surgery. For any information on this, it is best to speak to your consultant’s secretary who may be able to help.
I have had my pre-assessment and/or have a date for surgery. Do I still need to complete this form?
It is still your choice. If you do complete the form, it will help us make sure you are still fit for surgery and reduces the chance of a last-minute cancellation.
Last reviewed: 12 May 2026