Description
Outpatients (OPD) staff provide the most up-to-date, relevant and concise information / service to patients and relatives. On most occasions, the OPD is the first contact a patient has with Mercy University Hospital. It is, therefore, important that this first impression be a positive one. At each visit, the patient is furnished with as much information as is relevant to them or to subsequent encounters with the hospital. The department promotes a healthier lifestyle in an effort to improve a patient's health and wellbeing.In 2015, over 59,134 patients received treatment provided by the following: consultant and team-led clinics, phlebotomy, internal / external, warfarin clinic, dressing / lymphoedema clinics, outpatient antibiotic therapy (OPAT) physiotherapy on-site, sweat test adult / children service, helicobactor breath test (consultant ordered only).
Services
The following services are provided in the Outpatients department:- Advanced Nurse Practitioner in irritable bowel disorders (IBD).
- Cardiology.
- Dressing clinic.
- Gastroenterology.
- General Surgery - upper gastrointestinal (GI) and lower GI.
- Older Persons Specialist Health Services.
- Haematology - adult / paediatric.
- Hepatobiliary.
- Humira Nurse.
- Infectious diseases.
- Lymphoedema.
- Neurology - paediatric and adult.
- Nurse-led wound clinic.
- Oncology.
- Outpatient antibiotic therapy (OPAT).
- Ophthalmology.
- Paediatrics.
- Pain clinic.
- Phlebotomy - warfarin / GP.
- Physiotherapy.
- Psychiatric / nurse.
- Respiratory / Tuberculosis (TB).
- Sleep apnoea.
- Sweat test.
- Urology.
- Vascular surgery.
- Wound care nurse.
Location
The new Outpatients Department (OPD) is located off Woods Street with the entrance on Lynch's Street (T12 FH04).
Facilities
The following are available:- Wheelchair accessibility / ramp.
- Free taxi telephone service.
- Current and relevant health promotion information leaflets covering a broad spectrum of health conditions.
- Vending machines with light snacks and refreshments.
- Water dispenser.
Team
The department is managed by a clinical nurse manager and clerical supervisor, and supported by staff nurses, healthcare assistants, clerical and security staff.Haematology Clinic
During the haematology clinic, patients will attend the blood room where they have blood tests ordered by the consultant haematologist and will then see the consultants with results of the tests. This will all be carried out on the same day.
Anti-Coagulant Clinic
The anti-coagulant clinic is a warfarin control clinic. It prescribes and monitors the patients who are taking warfarin. Patients attend the blood room, and their blood is taken and sent to the haematology laboratory. Each patient is registered on the 'Dawn System' (a computer programme which acts as a data base for patients taking warfarin and it also calculates a dose and interval to the next test date for each patient). This is a nurse-led clinic and patients are contacted with details of what dose to take and the date of their next visit. In the event of a raised international normalised ratio (INR), the haematology team are notified and instructions are carried out by the nurse.
The warfarin service is available to Mercy University Hospital patients on: Monday, Thursday and Friday from 8 am - 11 am.
Dressing Clinic
The dressing clinic specialises in the management of chronic and difficult wounds with a particular interest in patients with leg ulceration. Patients may be referred through their general practitioner (GP) to a vascular consultant for initial assessment. Subsequent visits are organised by the dressing clinic staff.
The dressing clinic is available, as above, 4 days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Lymphoedema Service
The lymphoedema service treats 138 patients currently, providing on-going treatment for chronic primary and secondary lymphoedema and is constantly expanding with new referrals. Lymphoedema is a chronic condition that cannot be cured so requires ongoing intervention involving manual lymphatic drainage, bandaging, skin care and made-to-measure compression garments. This service successfully prevents repeated cellulitus admissions. Patients are not discharged off the system as they need review every 6 or 12 months for re-measuring of garments.
Phlebotomy Service
Phlebotomy is defined as an incision into a vein for the purpose of drawing blood (ref. Stedman's Medical Dictionary).
The service is available to the following:
- Consultants of Mercy University Hospital (for both public and private patients).
- General Practitioners (GPs).
A registered general nurse provides the service which is available Monday - Thursday from 8 am to 4 pm to the general public. The patient must provide a general practitioner (GP) request letter for bloods.
The Phlebotomy nurses are NOT available to take GP blood tests on Fridays. GP blood tests are done Monday - Thursday between 9:30 am - 3:30 pm.