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quires only one day, such as a simple operation, they can be admitted
to the day surgery unit.
Outpatients
Dr.Barron: The Accident and Emergency Department (A&E), al-
so called Casualty, is where patients who are acutely ill – with a sud-
den, serious condition – come for assessment and treatment. Outpa-
tients who have an appointment to see a specialist go to a clinic in one
of the Outpatient Departments (OPDs). They have usually been re-
ferred to the hospital by their GP, who writes a referral letter to the
consultant explaining the patient’s problem.
Inpatients
Dr.Barron: The inpatients in a hospital are admitted in one of
three main ways. They may be seen in one of the outpatient clinics
and admitted from there or, if there is a lot of demand for treatment
they need, as in the case of a hip replacement, they are put on a wait-
ing list for admission. Alternatively, their GP may arrange the admis-
sion by telephone because they are acutely ill, for example with sus-
pected myocardial infarction. Or they are seen in the A&E Depart-
ment, where the doctor on duty – working at that time – arranges the
admission. This would happen in the case of a patient with a fractured
neck of femur, for example. Larger hospitals may have an assessment
unit where patients can be admitted temporarily while their condition
is assessed.
Jordi: Assessed?
Dr.Barron: Yes – decisions are made about their condition, and
what needs to be done to help them. After treatment is completed, the
patient is discharged back to the GP’s care.