Outpatient appointments
In March, we moved many of our routine outpatient appointments to telephone or video appointments, with some being postponed to help us respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
While the risk of Covid-19 remains, we are working hard to increase the number of patients we are able to see face-to-face in a safely managed way.
We will continue with telephone or video consultations where appropriate and will be prioritising patients who need to be seen based on clinical need. We do understand that this can be difficult for those waiting for an appointment and we are working hard to reduce the delays as quickly as possible.
In June, our teams carried out 4,113 procedures, an increase of more than 900 on the previous month. Despite the disruption caused by COVID-19 and the changes required by the services to maintain safety for patients and staff, this means the number of procedures is now getting close to ‘normal’ levels – 80 per cent of the activity seen in February, pre-pandemic.
The importance of a high-performing diagnostics service can be seen in our cancer two-week wait referral figures, which also show we are now back to 80 per cent of our pre-pandemic performance and we are committed to developing ways to safely increase this further.
Our website is continually up-dated with the latest changes at Yeovil Hospital and what you can expect when attending as either a patient or visitor. If you are a patient, please click here for more information and for details on visiting, click here
We are contacting patients individually. Once you have received your appointment date and are due to attend in person but are concerned, please contact our outpatients department using the details on your appointment letter. If you have symptoms of the coronavirus (COVID-19) or are self-isolating due to a member of your household having symptoms, do not attend and please call the number on your appointment letter to let us know and rearrange.
If you need to visit Yeovil Hospital, please follow the guidance:
- On entering the building, wear a face covering (this can be a scarf or a piece of fabric that covers both your mouth and nose
- Do not enter the building more than 5 minutes before your appointment time (this will enable us to control the number of people in our waiting areas)
- Attend your appointment alone. If you need support from a carer, please let us know beforehand
Non-urgent operations
We are currently planning how we can safely resume routine operations and we will be in touch with a date for your surgery as soon as possible.
Urgent and emergency operations are continuing as normal at the hospital, as they have throughout the pandemic.
We are here if you need us
While it’s important that we all continue to put safety first by keeping our distance and staying at home where possible, it’s also important that you seek medical advice or help should you need it. We are still here for you.
If you notice a change in your symptoms please contact your GP in the first instance and for urgent advice please call NHS111.
We thank you for your continued patience and support.
Categorised in: Trust news and events
This post was written by Communications Team
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