Outpatient and Day Care Unit

The Children’s Haematology and Oncology Outpatient and Day Care unit can be found on the third floor (C Floor) of Clarendon Wing. Please click here to view our leaflet on the Day Care Unit

Opening hours & contact telephone numbers

The unit is open from 8:00am until 6pm Monday - Friday excluding Bank holidays

Appointment

You will have been given a time to arrive. This is not an appointment time as we book in several children for each hour of clinic to accommodate any tests or investigations they may require before seeing the doctor. This might include x-rays, blood tests, heart tests, eye tests etc.

On Arrival

When you arrive in the department please book in with the receptionist.

If your child is unwell or has a recent history of vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, cough, cold or contact with anyone who has chicken pox or measles it is important that you tell a member of staff as soon as you arrive. It is possible that your child may need to be isolated.

Investigations

Before seeing the doctor your child will have their height and weight measured and if needed a small blood sample taken from their thumb “thumb prick”

If your child requires other investigations such as x-rays or ultrasound scans the receptionist will give you the appropriate cards when you arrive and point you in the right direction.

Seeing the Doctor or Nurse

Once the blood count result is ready and any other investigations are completed, the doctor or nurse will see you and your child in the consulting rooms, give him/her a physical examination, discuss management or treatment plans and prescribe any medicines needed. If you have any queries or worries - please do ask the doctors or nurses.

Return appointments

Before leaving, the doctor will give you a prescription sheet if medicines are needed and an appointment slip. Please give this slip in to reception. Do ask if there is specific information you wish to know about any investigations before next attending clinic, for example, fasting before an anaesthetic, attending for scans etc.

Pharmacy

If you need any medication, the clinic has its own pharmacists who will give the medications out and explain how they should be taken.

If you have any queries or worries about the medicines please do not hesitate to ask the pharmacy staff or the nurses.

Supplies

Supplies for dressings, tape, feeding bottles and lines, syringes, needles etc can be obtained from clinic for your child. Please ask the nurses for the items you need. The supply of these items from clinic will be limited, however, any ongoing supplies can be provided by your GP or community nurse.

Day Care

Some children may visit the unit for the day to have chemotherapy treatment by an infusion over a few hours, or may come to have a blood transfusion, platelets or a series of tests or investigations for the day. We have a number of beds in the department for children to use whilst receiving day care. Each area has TV’s, DVD players, videos, computers and lots of games and toys available to use. If you wish to bring in your own DVD’s etc please do.

For children who are staying all day, a light lunch is provided but you also may bring in your own food if you prefer. You may also want to bring something to eat if you are using hospital transport as there can sometimes be a wait for this.

Facilities

There is a parent’s kitchen where tea, coffee and soft drinks are available next to the play room. There is also a microwave for your use.

On Wednesday and Thursday mornings no eating or drinking is allowed in the waiting area. This is because a number of children and young people will be fasting for anaesthetic procedures.

Toilets and baby changing facilities are situated outside the waiting room and on the ground floor entrance to Clarendon wing. If you need baby changing facilities or somewhere quiet to feed your baby, please ask the receptionist or the nurses.

Weekly clinic schedule

For more information about day care and outpatients see our information leaflet.