Welcome
to the Outpatients Department at Liverpool Women's Hospital. We provide
outpatient facilities for the full range of gynaecological services
available to the women of Liverpool and Merseyside. There are over
40 clinics a week held in this area and we hope that the following
information will be helpful to you.
If you are attending the Colposcopy clinic, please go to the Colposcopy
web page.
What to expect at your outpatients visit.
Before you attend
When you arrive
When you arrive in Outpatients
What will happen in clinic
After your appointment
Facilities
Before you attend
You will receive an appointment letter and a card, which will tell
you the date and time of your appointment and the name of the consultant
or clinic you will be attending.
Changing or cancelling
appointments
If you need to contact the hospital, please quote your hospital
number, which you will find on your appointment card and letter.
If you wish to change or are unable to keep an appointment for any
reason, please phone the department as soon as possible so that
your appointment can be offered to another patient. If you fail
to attend without letting us know, you may not receive a further
appointment.
Last year almost one in five of our patients failed to attend for
their appointment. This means that other patients, who could keep
an appointment, are waiting longer. If for any reason you cannot
keep your appointment, please let us know by calling:
Tel: 0151 702 4080 between 8.30 and 4.30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
An answer machine is available out of hours.
Special Needs Advisor
We have a Special Needs Advisor who provides a support service for
women with any disability who need to attend a clinic or who require
admission to the hospital. .Along with your appointment card, you
will receive a questionnaire asking if you have a disability or
long term illness and whether you require support and advice from
our advisor. You can also contact:
Jackie Rotherham,
Disability Advisor on
Tel:0151 702 4012 or
e-mail: Jackie.Rotherham@lwh-tr.nwest.nhs.uk
Transport
If you are not able to travel to the hospital by car or public transport,
your G.P will arrange for you to be brought to the clinic by ambulance.
The ambulance service will not be able to give you an accurate time
for collection from home or for your return from the hospital. We
usually advise that, if you have a morning appointment, you should
be ready for pick up at 8.30 a.m.The ambulance will normally arrive
for you by 10.30 a.m. at the latest. If your appointment is for
the afternoon, you should be ready for pick up at 12.30 p.m. The
ambulance should arrive for you by 2.30 p.m. at the latest.
Interpreting service
Your G.P will let us know if you need the help of an interpreter
and this will be arranged by the hospital.
What to bring with you
- your appointment letter or card
- your GP's address and telephone number
- details of any medication you are taking
- special treatment card or record book if appropriate
- a urine specimen
- loose change for refreshments
You might find it helpful to write down any questions that you
have for the doctor.
You are welcome to bring along a close relative, partner or friend
to accompany you during your consultation.
When you arrive
Car parking
There is a large car park for the use of patients and visitors.
You will receive a 'Parking slip' when your first appointment is
sent out to you.
If you need to attend for further appointments, you will be given
a 'Car Park Pass' by the clinic reception staff.
Where we are.
The department is on the ground floor of the hospital and can be
found by following the acorn sign. You can also receive directions
from the staff on the Reception desk at them main entrance.
Link to map of ground floor
Appointment times
We call patients in order of their appointment time, not in order
of arrival. We suggest that you plan your journey so that you arrive
5-10 minutes before your appointment time.
We do our best to ensure that you are seen within thirty minutes
of your appointment. Sometimes appointments are delayed because
a doctor has been called to deal with an urgent case or has had
to spend longer than expected with another patient. Please be patient
if this happens. You will be seen as soon as possible.
You should also allocate extra time for the possibility of undergoing
tests, before or after your clinic appointment.
When you arrive in Outpatients.
Please report to the Reception desk where staff will check your
personal details. These will include details of:
- your name
- your address, including postcode
- your G.P
This information is important, as it will allow us to contact you
or your G.P if necessary.
Your medical records will be given a hospital number that is unique
to you and you will find this on the appointment letter that has
been sent to you.
Confidentiality
All the information concerning your health is confidential. All
staff who have contact with you and your medical records are obliged
to maintain confidentiality at all times.
What will happen in the clinic
Your Consultation
Each clinic has its own routine and its own team of medical, nursing
and clerical staff. All staff wear I.D badges which give their name
and occupation.
All new patients will have a full medical history taken and will
be asked if they wish to be examined. You will have a nurse with
you whilst you are being examined.
Although you will have been allocated to a particular consultant,
another member of the medical team may see you.
You may be asked if you are willing to be seen by a student doctor,
midwife or nurse during your clinic visit. Although attending clinics
is part of the training for these students, it is your choice whether
you wish to see them or not. Whatever your decision, your treatment
and the standard of care you receive will not be affected.
You may need to have some minor tests or treatments whilst you are
in clinic. These will be explained to you and will only be carried
out with your agreement.
Blood tests
You may need to have some blood taken and this will be done during
your appointment or you may need to return to the department at
another time. These samples are usually taken by the nursing staff
in the department. If you need to come back on another day, you
will be given written information about the times that you can attend.
X-ray or Ultrasound
You might need to have further investigations in our x-ray/ ultrasound
department. This will be arranged before you leave clinic. The doctor
will order this investigation using our electronic information system
but you will need to go over to the department to make an appointment.
If you are given a further outpatient appointment, your x-ray or
ultrasound appointment will usually be made for the same day. The
x-ray/ultrasound department can be found directly opposite to the
entrance to the outpatients department. Link to X-ray/ultrasound
Admission for operation
You will be given the information you require on your condition
and the need for admission for treatment before leaving the clinic.
Please feel free to ask the doctor or nurses as many questions as
you wish. It may be helpful to come prepared with a written list
of your queries so that you do not forget what you want to ask.
Once the doctor has explained the proposed operation to you, you
will be asked to sign a consent form.
Booked Admissions
As part of a national programme, Liverpool Women's Hospital has
set up a new way of arranging for patients to be admitted for operation.
Most patients needing surgery will be able to arrange the date of
admission before they leave clinic. On your way out of the department
you will be directed to our admissions office. Arrangements will
also be made for you to attend the Pre-operative assessment clinic
one week before your admission.
If you are not given a date before you leave, an admission date
and information concerning your attendance at pre-operative assessment
clinic will be sent to you within a few weeks.
Link to Pre-Operative
Clinic
After your appointment
Follow up appointments
Your follow up appointment will normally be for the same day of
the week as your first appointment. The doctor you see in clinic
will let you know if a further appointment is needed and will record
this on your appointment slip. It is important that you book your
appointment at reception before you leave clinic. If you decide
that you no longer wish to be seen at the hospital, would you please
contact the patient services department soon as possible so that
your appointment can be offered to another patient.
Pharmacy
The doctor may prescribe treatment that you need to start immediately.
You will be given an outpatient prescription sheet which you will
need to take to the hospital pharmacy. This can be found on the
ground floor, near to the outpatients department. You will usually
only receive enough medicine to last for 2 weeks. After this time
you will need to go to your G.P for further supplies.
If you don't normally pay for your prescriptions, you will be asked
to complete an exemption form.
Reclaiming travel expenses
You may be able to reclaim your travel expenses to the hospital
if you are on Income Support, Family Credit or hold an AG2 or AG3
certificate. Please bring proof of exemption with you when you attend.
You will be only able to claim travelling expenses for public transport
and will need to provide evidence of your journey, e.g. bus ticket.
To reclaim fares, please ask the clinic staff on the clinic reception
desk for an attendance form. Take this to the general office, which
can be found at the main entrance to the hospital.
Facilities
Children
Although we appreciate that it is not always possible for you to
attend clinic without bringing your children, it is important to
point out that we do not have child care facilities available. If
you are unable to attend without bringing your children with you,
please remember that they are your responsibility. It would be helpful
if you could bring something with you to help occupy
your child/children during the visit.
Baby changing facilities are available in the reception area of
the department. If you need breast-feeding facilities please let
the nursing staff know.
Refreshments
There is a tea bar available in the clinic waiting room and
a sandwich bar is available in the main reception area of the hospital.
There is also a shop near the main entrance where you can buy newspapers,
magazines, etc.
Phones
There are public phones available in several areas of the hospital
including the main waiting room of the outpatients' clinic. If you
bring a mobile phone with you it is very important that it is switched
off as it can interfere with the medical equipment used within the
hospital.
Smoking
We have a policy that asks patients, visitors and staff not to smoke
in the hospital.
|
Outpatients
and Clinics
