Getting seen sooner in Italian

1. 1
   appuntamento/appuntaˈmento/

   appointmentnoun

   A meeting set for a certain day and time.
2. 2
   visita/ˈvizita/

   visitnoun

   Going to someone to be seen by them.
3. 3
   anticipare/antitʃiˈpare/

   bring forwardverb

   To move something to an earlier date.
4. 4

   prenotareto book

5. 5

   urgenteurgent

6. 6

   disponibilitàavailability

7. 7

   cancellazionecancellation

8. 8

   listalist

9. 9

   specialistaspecialist

10. 10

    ambulatoriosurgery

The sentences3 of 10

1. Posso avere un appuntamento prima di due settimane?

   Can I have an appointment sooner than two weeks from now?

2. Ho bisogno di una visita il prima possibile.

   I need to be seen as soon as possible.

3. Si può anticipare la visita a questa settimana?

   Could the appointment be moved up to this week?

Pronunciation

• appuntamento/appuntaˈmento/

  The double p is held long: ap-puntamento.

• visita/ˈvizita/

  The stress falls on the first syllable: VI-sita.

Good to know

medico di base

In Italy you usually start with your own family doctor, who sees patients in their own surgery and refers you to a specialist when needed. Appointments are often made by phone or in person.

ricetta

For specialist visits and tests you usually need a referral from your family doctor, called the impegnativa. Without one, you normally pay the full price of the visit.

ticket

In the public health service many treatments come with a ticket, a share of the cost you pay yourself. The amount varies from region to region and by type of visit.

pronto soccorso

If the problem is serious and can't wait, you go to the pronto soccorso, the emergency room. For less serious cases the wait is usually long, so it's better to talk to your doctor first.

Questions

How do I ask for an earlier appointment in Italian?

You can say "Posso avere un appuntamento prima di due settimane?" or "Si può anticipare la visita a questa settimana?"