Outpatients

Our outpatient department will for some people be the first contact they have with the Hospital. We aim to make this initial contact as beneficial for you as possible. We want you to feel at ease and have a full understanding of your care as you journey through outpatients. We aim to provide a high standard of nursing to enable you to have access to high quality care.

Our nursing team is led by Matron Rebecca Whittaker, assisted by three Sisters. You will also meet Staff Nurses, Advanced Practitioners and Health Care Assistants during your visit.

We offer a large variety of clinics in the department, including Medical,
Surgical, Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT), Eyes, Dermatology, Plastic Surgery, Urology, Renal and Vascular. We have visiting Consultants from other
hospitals such as Dorchester, Taunton, Bristol and Exeter.

Before your appointment date, you will receive a letter or telephone call giving you relevant information about what to bring with you to your appointment and how long your appointment may take. It would be very useful if a list of current medications could be brought to each appointment.

When you arrive for your appointment please check in at Reception. You will be asked to take a seat and wait for the Clinic Nurse to call for patients for your Consultant. You will then be taken to another waiting area closer to the Consultation Room you will be seen in.

Each clinic will have an allocated Consultant. You may not see the Consultant at your appointment but may see a senior member of their team. Many clinics also have a Clinical Nurse Specialist working with them.

We also run Nurse-Led Clinics for most specialities, where you will meet a Nurse who has specialist knowledge of your condition.

Occasionally, clinics do not always run to allocated times and on such occasions we appreciate your patience and understanding. You can expect to be informed of any delays. We are always happy to offer an alternative
date if you are unable to wait.

As a result of your consultation it maybe necessary to have tests or procedures, the Clinic Nurse will direct and advise you. At the end of your consultation you will be handed a yellow sheet of paper, which we ask you to take back to Reception. You will be given any necessary further appointments at Reception.

While you are waiting for your appointment there is a coffee shop in the waiting area, providing hot and cold drinks as well as sandwiches, crisps and cakes etc. We have a children’s play area to keep our younger visitors amused.

Please feel free to tell us about your experience, good or bad, so that we can
continue to provide a good service for all of you.

Downloads

| Appointments-for-patch-testing.pdf (0.05 MB)

| Genito-Urinary-medicine-department-GUM-clinic.pdf (0.10 MB)