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Health Assessment
Advisory Service

Telephone assessments

If you have received an appointment inviting you to attend a telephone assessment, you can watch our video on what to expect during your assessment and read our top tips on this page.

What to expect at a telephone assessment

You can watch our video on what to expect at a telephone assessment in British Sign Language here.

Top tips for a successful telephone assessment

  1. If you are using a mobile phone, ensure it is fully charged.
  2. Find a quiet place with good signal and no background noise.
  3. Please have your phone ready before your appointment time.
  4. Your assessment will typically last around an hour. However, some assessments may take up to two hours depending on the number and complexity of the conditions being assessed. Think about what will make the telephone call more comfortable, like headphones and having a drink of water available.
  5. Be ready 10 minutes before your appointment time. Sometimes we may call up to 30 minutes after your scheduled time.
  6. Have important information to hand, for example your National Insurance number, medication list and any information from your GP about your condition.
  7. We can provide language interpreters for telephone assessments, covering a wide range of languages. Please contact Maximus two working days (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) before your assessment if you need an interpreter.
  8. If you miss your telephone appointment, please contact Maximus as soon as possible. One appointment change is permitted for telephone assessments, if you are unable to attend.
  9. Please note: We may call you the day before or on the day of your assessment to confirm you can make your appointment. We will call you from a number starting with 0300 or 0800.