Patients may be offered an earlier appointment through MyCare if a slot becomes available at short notice. This is part of our ongoing work to improve patient experience and making it easier for patients to manage their own appointments.

If you have an appointment booked with UCLH and an earlier slot becomes available on short notice, you may be notified of the earlier appointment through MyCare. You can then log into MyCare to choose whether to take the earlier appointment without needing to call the department. You do not need to do anything unless you would like an earlier appointment. 

How it works 

  • If an earlier appointment becomes available, we may send you an offer through MyCare. 
  • You can choose whether to accept the earlier date or keep your current appointment. 
  • Appointments are offered fairly on a first‑come, first‑served basis. 
  • If you do not respond or the earlier date does not suit you, your original appointment stays the same.

Do I have to accept an earlier appointment? 

No. Taking an earlier appointment is always your choice. 

If you are not able to attend at short notice, you can simply ignore the offer and keep your existing appointment. 

Who will receive earlier appointment offers? 

We are currently introducing this option for some Respiratory and ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) clinics. 

We will gradually extend this to more services in the future. 

Why are we doing this? 

Earlier appointment offers help to: 

  • Make better use of appointment slots that become free at short notice. 
  • Reduce waiting times where possible. 
  • Give patients more flexibility and choice. 

How do I make sure I can receive these offers when available?

To receive earlier appointment offers, you need to have an active MyCare account and have notifications switched on. 

If you are not registered yet, you can find out more including how to activate MyCare here MyCare UCLH | Manage Your UCLH Appointments, Records and Results Online.

If you need help activating your account, please ask at your next appointment or contact the MyCare help desk at uclh.MyCare@nhs.net.