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Why have I been referred to the service?

You have been referred to us because you have, or are thought to have, a gynaecological condition.

We look forward to seeing you in our Gynaecology Outpatient Department at St James’s University Hospital.

Where is the Gynaecology Outpatients Department?

It is located on Level 1 Chancellors Wing, St James’s University Hospital, Beckett Street, Ä¢¹½tvÊÓƵ, LS9 7TF.

What do I do when I arrive?

On arrival, you will need to check in at the reception desk. You can then take a seat in the waiting area.

What will happen before my appointment?

You may be asked to provide a urine sample by a member of the clinic staff. You may have your height and weight checked.

Can I bring someone with me?

You can bring one family member or friend to the appointment but you may attend alone if you prefer. If you need to bring a baby or children to this appointment, please bring someone to supervise them while you have your appointment.

Who will I see during my appointment?

If you are attending a medical appointment, you may see your named consultant who is the senior doctor responsible for your care or the resident doctor working with them in their clinic.

If you are attending a specialist nurse appointment, you will see a nurse. A doctor may not be present for this appointment.

You may also see other members of the clinic team, which include nurses, physiotherapists and support workers.

As our hospital is proudly a teaching hospital, training clinical staff of the future, sometimes medical/nursing students may be present. If you would prefer for them not to be present during your appointment, that is absolutely fine, just let a member of staff know.

What will happen during my appointment?

The doctor or nurse will ask you specific questions about your symptoms and some more general questions about your health. It would be helpful if you could provide the date of your last menstrual period, details of any allergies and any medications you are taking.

You may be asked to complete some paperwork before your attend. Please make sure to bring it with you, completed, to your appointment.

You will have the opportunity to talk to the doctor or nurse if you have any questions.

What examinations may be recommended at my appointment?

A member of staff will be with you to support you as you have your examination. The examination is offered to help the doctor or nurse understand the most suitable treatment for your symptoms.

You may be recommended one or more of the following types of examination in your appointment.

Abdominal examination

The doctor or nurse will examine your abdomen (tummy). This involves pressing one or two hands on your abdomen.

External (vulval) examination

The vulva is the name of the area around the opening of the vagina. A vulval examination is where the doctor or nurse examines your vulva. You might be offered a vulval biopsy (tissue sample) or treatment of vulval lesion (lump) under local anaesthetic.

Internal (vaginal) examination

An internal examination may be recommended. If you have any questions or worries about having an internal (vaginal) examination please discuss these with your Doctor or

Nurse beforehand. You will be able to undress and prepare for the examination in privacy. You will be asked to remove your clothes from the waist down and cover yourself with a sheet. Please do let the staff know if you need help undressing. You will then be asked to lie on an examination bed.

The doctor or nurse will gently examine the vagina using a speculum and/or gloved fingers.

Rectal (back passage/bottom) examination

You may be offered a rectal examination. For this examination you will be asked to lie on the bed on your left side with your knees bent upwards. The Doctor will then put one gloved finger inside your vagina and one gloved finger inside your rectum (bottom).

After the examination, you will be given privacy to redress.

Although there are male and female doctors in the clinic, you will always have a female chaperone for any examination.

Informed consent

It is part of our practice to make sure you are fully informed before giving your consent, this leaflet is provided to supplement verbal information that will be given to you by your healthcare provider (Doctor/ Surgeon/Nurse) as part of the consent process prior to your procedure. Information sharing between you and the clinician is essential to ensure that your decision to consent is fully informed.

We hope that this leaflet helps you to understand the process, in addition to information you have been told verbally by your healthcare provider. We want to ensure you feel clear about the procedure, so that you can make fully informed decisions.

Please ask questions if you don’t fully understand or have any concerns about what is proposed. It is your right to be involved with these decisions, and we are here to support you to be involved.

Please take the time to consider what is important to you to ensure the information you receive is specific and individualised.

What happens after my appointment?

We will send you and your GP a letter saying what has happened at your appointment and any further treatment plans.

If you need any more investigations you will be informed on the day and further appointments will be sent to you. Blood tests are normally performed before you leave the hospital.

You may be given a prescription for medication.

This prescription can only be used at the pharmacy at the hospital. The clinic staff will inform you where this is. Alternatively the doctor or nurse will instruct your GP on what to prescribe.

Further treatment may involve an operation (surgery). If surgery is recommended the benefits and risks and alternative (if applicable) will be discussed with you so you can make a fully informed decision.

You may like to take some time to think about if you would like the operation and may wish to go home and take your time before chossing whether to go ahead with the operation. If you wish to go ahead, you will be asked to sign the consent form prior to the operation taking place.

Telephone / virtual gynaecology clinic appointments

You may have been offered a telephone or virtual appointment rather than a face to face appointment. This is because your referral letter states that you have symptoms that do not require an examination in hospital or you have had tests that mean that your care can be progressed without the need to be seen in an in person clinic appointment.

You will be given the same amount of time as a face to face appointment and will be able to to discuss your symptoms and possible treatment options. If it is felt that you need a face to face appointment after you have had your telephone or virtual appointment, this will be arranged for you.

Will I need another appointment?

It is unlikely that you will require another appointment at the Gynaecology Outpatient Clinic, and will be discharged back to the care of your GP.

If you are offered a further clinic appointment, you will receive a letter with the appointment details. You may be offered Patient Initiated Follow Up (PIFU) where you will be advised to contact our gynaecology service if you find that your symptoms are not improved or getting worse after being seen.

If you need to change your appointment, please contact

Who do I contact if I have any questions?

If you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact:

Your opinion is very important to us. Whether you are happy or unhappy with the care and treatment that you have received, we’d like to know about it.

If we are not getting it right and you want to raise a concern, you can speak to any member of staff. If the problem can be resolved quickly we will do our best to put things right.

If you prefer, you can call our Patient Experience Team: