Coming to an Outpatient Appointment
The first time many of our whānau come to Starship Child Health will be as an outpatient. Our outpatient clinics are held at Starship Hospital and Greenlane Clinical Centre and sometimes at other healthcare centres in the community.
Important Update: Some appointments are now being offered through telehealth - by a phone call or a videoconference (Zoom). We will let you know if your child's appointment is by telehealth. Please follow this link for some helpful information about how to use Zoom.
Getting referred
If you live in the Te Toka Tumai Auckland area, your child will need to be referred to Starship by your current doctor (general practitioner or GP). If you live outside of the Te Toka Tumai Auckland area, then you will need to be referred to Starship by your child's paediatrician. Starship does not accept referrals directly from families or from anyone who is not a doctor.
Where to go
Once your referral has been received and accepted, you will be contacted to arrange a date, time and place for your child's outpatient appointment. If for any reason you cannot make your appointment please telephone the Contact Centre on 0800 728 436 as soon as possible so that this time can be made available for another whānau who need it. See Directions and Parking for information about how to get to Starship Hospital or Greenlane Clinical Centre.
What to bring
We would prefer you to bring your appointment letter with you so that you can be checked into the right clinic. If you have been asked to provide proof of eligibility, you can bring a copy of your passport or child's birth certificate to show to the clinic receptionist. For more information see eligibility for publicly funded healthcare.
If you are coming by car, you will need money for parking. Please note there is limited parking available on both the Starship Hospital and Greenlane sites and there are often queues to get into the carpark. You may want to bring a snack and drink for your child, or some money to buy food / drink at one of the vending machines or cafes.
If your appointment is at Starship, there are televisions in the outpatient waiting rooms, as well as a fully supervised playroom which can also be used by siblings while you are waiting for or during your appointment.
At Greenlane Clinical Centre there is a television in the waiting room and a playroom for use while waiting for your appointment. The playroom is not supervised so siblings cannot be left there during your appointment.
On arrival
We recommend arriving at the hospital at least 30 minutes before your appointment time. Parking is limited and there are often queues to get into the car park. See directions and parking for information about alternative transport options to get to your appointment and where to park, including drop-off points and parking fees.
Once you have made your way from the carpark to the clinic building, you will need to find the outpatients reception area for Starship Child Health (there is a dedicated area within the Greenlane Clinical Centre) and let one of the clinic receptionists know you have arrived.
They will check your current details. You will need to tell them if you have recently changed your address, phone number or general practitioner (GP). If you have been asked to provide proof of eligibility, you can give the receptionist a copy of your child's birth certificate or passport.
The receptionist will tell the doctor or nurse and the clinic staff you have arrived, and also advise whether your child needs to have an x-ray or any other tests done before the appointment. Most children will have their height and weight taken by a member of the clinic staff.
How long will our appointment take?
Please allow up to an hour for your first visit, as well as another 30 minutes to park, find your way to Outpatients and register at reception. During your appointment a full medical history will be taken, including an examination where appropriate, and tests such as x-rays or blood tests may then be requested. Some of these tests can be done at Starship at the time of your appointment, whereas other tests may have to be arranged for another day.
Starship Child Health is also a teaching facility. This means that doctors sometimes have medical students present during their clinics. If you would prefer not to have students present during your appointment, please inform a member of the staff.
Building works at Starship: follow this link to find out how that might affect you and your next appointment.