We run outpatients clinics every weekday between 8.30am and 5pm. They are run especially for children at all four of our hospitals, although if you have trouble with your ears, nose or throat you might be sent to a part of the hospital which sees adults, too.
All sorts of illnesses are dealt with by specialist doctors at outpatients, which is a place for people to see a doctor without having to stay over at hospital. Children with asthma or diabetes, cystic fibrosis or eczema, allergies or weight issues, and many more conditions will all be seen at out-patients.
You might see a nurse first, who will take basic information such as your height and weight. The nurse might also test your blood pressure with a special armband that she blows air into through a pump, or ask for a sample of your wee.
The doctor will want to know a lot about your illness, about any medicines you take, and about whether anyone else if your family has been ill. It’s important you and your family give the doctor as much information as possible.
The doctor can then come up with the best plan for you. It’ll be your job to make sure it’s followed, and then you will be asked to come back to out-patients to see how you’re doing. It may help for you to write things down, including any questions you want to ask.
Over time, and if you attend all your appointments and follow the doctor’s advice, you’ll get better. Eventually, you’ll be ‘discharged’, and won’t have to attend outpatients any more.
