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Niguarda has numerous windows for making appointments, admissions and payment. Staff is ready to give information and help each patient find his/her way in the hospital.
Niguarda is the only hospital in Lombardy which has all the clinical specialties, which guarantees multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment. Every year at Niguarda, 3 million services are offered, including visits, diagnostic exams and ambulatory care procedures.
Questions? Niguarda answers.
> How does one make an appointment for a doctor visit?
The family doctor must request a visit with the specialist. That prescription, plus the following documents: Regional Card of Services (Carta Regionale dei Servizi) or Health Card (Tessera Sanitaria) and Social Security Card (Codice Fiscale) must be brought at the time of scheduling an appointment.
Appointments can be made by calling:
Regional Health Care toll free number 800 638638 Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. This allows you to check for the soonest available appointment at Niguarda and other public hospitals of Milan.
The hospital guarantees the care of a specialist but not of a particular doctor. You can also make an appointment at the walk up window of the ambulatory care clinic.
> What about laboratory exams?
It is not necessary to make an appointment for lab tests.
The Lab Center for Laboratory Exams (Centro Prelievi Unificato) is located in Center Area Pavilion 9 Laboratory Medicine and is open Monday through Friday 7.30 a.m to 10 a.m. You must bring the doctor’s prescription for the exam, the Regional Card of Services (Carta Regionale dei Servizi), or Health Card (Tessera Sanitaria) and Social Security Card (Codice Fiscale).
For information regarding the necessary preparation or sample collection ask your family doctor.
> For CAT-scans, MRIs, X-rays, sonograms, or other diagnostic exams?
Appointments for radiological exams can be made at the following walk-up windows:
- South Area, South Block
- North Area. Pav.16 (neuroradiologia)
- North Area, Blocco DEA
At all the walk-up window, it is possible to make appointments and pay for the exams.
At the Center of Villa Marelli, it is possible to have a first visit with a pnuemologist, including an eventual chest x-ray if required, on a walk-in basis (without previous appointment) by arriving before 10:00 a.m. Monday-Friday.
> Is a doctor’s order always necessary?
In most cases, yes. However, in some cases, it is possible to directly access the ambulatory clinics. This is true for the first visit in the following areas of specialization: obstetrics, dentistry, pediatrics (only for those who have not yet chosen a pediatrician in the local healthcare system-ASL), opthomology (only for optometric exams), pysycology and pediatric neuropsychiatry.
> Who is exempt from payments for visits and exams?
There are cases in which a patient, for reasons of income, age or pathology is exempt from payment. In these cases, the patient must still make an appointment or register at the walk up window. Low income conditions can be self-certified at the window.
> What about the required waiting timelines?
Each visit and exam has a different waiting timeline. We do our best to guarantee the regional standards.
To manage the increase of health benefits request and to improve the service offered to the patients, the Lombardy Health Service anticipates that the health benefits can be supplied both by the Public hospitals and by the accredited private institutions, to guarantee to the citizens the best choice.
Therefore, when dialling the toll-free number 800.638.638, the waiting timelines will be indicated also in other hospital structures.
However the possible priorities suggested by the doctor will be always respected to guarantee the implementation of every kind of exam within 72 hours from the request, when it is suggested by the condition of the patient and marked on the prescription by a green stamp.
> Which kind of documents do I have to bring?
At the ticket window you will need:
• the document issued by the National Health Service authorizing medical treatments for a patient, given by the family doctor;
• the Regional Health Card (or the Fiscal Code and the Italian Health Insurance Card);
• pathology exemption card;
• TEAM card for European Community citizens and the S.T.P. code (Foreigner Temporary Present) for non-EC immigrant.
> Where do I pick up exam results?
Usually, laboratory and radiologic exams can be picked up at
the Window for Exams Results (Sportello Ritiro Referti)
South Area, South Block
Monday through Friday 8.00 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Saturday 8.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.
For some exams, the medical report will be directly given by the Department staff in which the exam has been done.
When an exam has been done it is useful to ask directly to the front office staff where the medical report will be given.
Each medical report is strictly confidential therefore the staff is authorized to release it directly to the patient or to other people only if she/he has a proxy, has her/him ID card and has the patient ID card (the original or a copy).
> Once home?
It is recommended that you discuss tests and visit results with your family doctor.
> Help us improve our service
We ask for your cooperation by filling out the suggestion form.
It is useful to honestly indicate what was appreciated and what could be improved in the service. Your suggestions will help us provide better care to our patients.
The form is available on line or on hospital admission and it can be dropped off in the dedicated boxes at the entrance of each building or in the public relation office.
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