By:
Drs. Nur Panca Marhendra, M.Pd.
HOSPITAL WARDS AND
DEPARTMENTS
Hospital Wards and Departments
There are many hospital departments, staffed by a wide
variety of healthcare professionals, with some crossover
between departments.
For example, physiotherapists often work in different
departments and doctors often do the same, working on a
general medical ward as well as an intensive or coronary
care unit.
Below is a list of the main departments you'll come across
when you visit a hospital. Some of these units work very
closely together, and may even be combined into one
larger department.
Each department tends to be overseen by consultants in
that speciality with a team of junior medical staff under
them who are also interested in that speciality.
Accident and emergency (A&E)
This department (sometimes
called Casualty) is where
you're likely to be taken if
you've called an ambulance in
an emergency.
It's also where you should
come if you've had an
accident, but can make your
own way to hospital.
These departments operate
24 hours a day, every day and
are staffed and equipped to
deal with all emergencies.
Patients are assessed and
seen in order of need, usually
with a separate minor injuries
area supported by nurses.
Anaesthetics
Doctors in this department give
anaesthetic for operations.
They are responsible for the
provision of:
acute pain services (pain
relief after an operation)
chronic pain services (pain
relief in long-term conditions
such as arthritis)
critical care services (pain
relief for those who have had
a serious accident or trauma)
obstetric anaesthesia and
analgesia (epidurals in
childbirth and anaesthetic for
Caesarean sections).
Breast screening
This unit screens
women for breast
cancer, either
through routine
mammogram
examinations or at
the request of
doctors. It's usually
linked to an X-ray
department.
Cardiology
This department provides medical
care to patients who have problems
with their heart or circulation. It
treats people on an inpatient and
outpatient basis.
Typical procedures performed
include:
electrocardiogram (ECG) and
exercise tests to measure heart
function
echocardiograms (ultrasound
scan of the heart)
scans of the carotid artery in
your neck to determine stroke
risk
24-hour blood pressure tests
insertion of pacemakers
cardiac catheterisation
(coronary angiography) to see if
there are any blocks in your
arteries.
Critical care
Sometimes called intensive
care, this unit is for the most
seriously ill patients.
It has a relatively small
number of beds and is
manned by specialist doctors
and nurses, as well as by
consultant anaesthetists,
physiotherapists and
dietitians.
Patients requiring intensive
care are often transferred
from other hospitals or from
other departments in the
same hospital.
Diagnostic imaging
Formerly known as X-ray, this
department provides a full range of
diagnostic imaging services
including:
general radiography (X-ray
scans)
scans for A&E
mammography (breast scans)
ultrasound scans
angiography (X-ray of blood
vessels)
interventional radiology
(minimally invasive
procedures, eg to treat
narrowed arteries)
CT scanning (scans that show
cross sections of the body)
MRI scanning (3D scans using
magnetic and radio waves).
Discharge lounge
Many hospitals now have
discharge lounges to help your
final day in hospital go
smoothly.
Patients who don't need to stay
on the ward are transferred to
the lounge on the day of
discharge. Staff will inform the
pharmacy, transport and
relatives of your transfer.
To help pass the time, there are
usually facilities such as a TV,
radio, magazines, puzzles,
books and newspapers.
If someone feels unwell while
waiting, nurses contact a
doctor to come and see you
before discharge.
Ear nose and throat (ENT)
The ENT department provides
care for patients with a variety
of problems, including:
general ear, nose and throat
diseases
neck lumps
cancers of the head and neck
area
tear duct problems
facial skin lesions
balance and hearing
disorders
snoring and sleep apnoea
ENT allergy problems
salivary gland diseases
voice disorders.
Elderly Services Department
Led by consultant physicians specialising
in geriatric medicine, this department
looks after a wide range of problems
associated with the elderly. This includes:
stroke medicine
gastroenterology
diabetes
locomotor (movement) problems
continence problems
syncope (fainting)
bone disease.
It provides a range of services such as
home visits, day hospitals and outpatient
clinics. The department often has close
links with other community services for
the elderly.
Gastroenterology
Run by consultants specialising in
bowel-related medicine, this
department investigates and
treats upper and lower
gastrointestinal disease, as well as
diseases of the pancreas and bile
duct system.
This includes endoscopy and
nutritional services.
Sub-specialities include colerectal
surgery, inflammatory bowel
disease and swallowing problems.
There are often endoscopy nurse
specialists linked to a
gastroenterology unit who are
able to perform a wide range of
bowel investigations.
General surgery
The general surgery ward covers a wide
range of surgery and includes:
day surgery
thyroid surgery
kidney transplants
colon surgery
laparoscopic cholecystectomy
(gallbladder removal)
endoscopy
breast surgery.
Day surgery units have a high turnover of
patients who attend for minor surgical
procedures such as hernia repairs.
Gynaecology
These departments investigate
and treat problems of the female
urinary tract and reproductive
organs, such as endometritis,
infertility and incontinence.
They also provide a range of care
for cervical smear screening and
post-menopausal bleeding
checks.
They usually have:
a specialist ward
day surgery unit
emergency gynaecology
assessment unit
outpatient clinics.
Haematology
Haematology services
work closely with the
hospital laboratory.
These doctors treat
blood diseases and
malignancies linked to
the blood, with both
new referrals and
emergency admissions
being seen.
Maternity departments
Women now have a choice of
who leads their maternity care
and where they give birth. Care
can be led by a consultant, a GP
or a midwife.
Maternity wards provide
antenatal care, care during
childbirth and postnatal support.
Antenatal clinics provide
monitoring for both routine and
complicated pregnancies.
High-dependency units can offer
one-to-one care for women who
need close monitoring when
there are complications in
pregnancy or childbirth.
Microbiology
The microbiology department
looks at all aspects of
microbiology, such as
bacterial and viral infections.
They have become
increasingly high profile
following the rise of hospital-
acquired infections, such as
MRSA and C. difficile.
A head microbiology
consultant and team of
microbiologists test patient
samples sent to them by
medical staff from the
hospital and from doctors'
surgeries.
Neonatal unit
Neonatal units have a number
of cots that are used for
intensive, high-dependency
and special care for newborn
babies.
It always maintains close links
with the hospital maternity
department, in the interest of
babies and their families.
Neonatal units have the
philosophy that, whenever
possible, mother and baby
should be together.
Nephrology
This department monitors
and assesses patients with
kidney (renal) problems.
Nephrologists (kidney
specialists) will liaise with
the transplant team in
cases of kidney
transplants.
They also supervise the
dialysis day unit for people
who are waiting for a
kidney transplant or who
are unable to have a
transplant for any reason.
Neurology
This unit deals with disorders
of the nervous system,
including the brain and spinal
cord. It's run by doctors who
specialise in this area
(neurologists) and their staff.
There are also paediatric
neurologists who treat
children. Neurologists may
also be involved in clinical
research and clinical trials.
Specialist nurses (epilepsy,
multiple sclerosis) liaise with
patients, consultants and GPs
to help with any problems
that may occur between
outpatient appointments.
Nutrition and dietetics
Trained dieticians and nutritionists provide
specialist advice on diet for hospital wards and
outpatient clinics, forming part of a
multidisciplinary team.
The department works across a wide range of
specialities such as:
diabetes
cancer
kidney problems
paediatrics
elderly care
surgery and critical care
gastroenterology.
They also provide group education to patients
with diabetes, heart disease and osteoarthritis,
and work closely with weight management
groups.
Obstetrics and gynaecology
units
These units provide maternity services such as:
antenatal and postnatal care
prenatal diagnosis unit
maternal and foetal surveillance.
Overseen by consultant obstetricians and
gynaecologists, there is a wide range of
attached staff linked to them, including
specialist nurses, midwives and imaging
technicians.
Care can include:
general inpatient and outpatient treatment
colposcopy, laser therapy or hysteroscopy for
abnormal cervical cells
psychosexual counselling
recurrent miscarriage unit
early pregnancy unit.
Occupational therapy
This profession helps people who
are physically or mentally impaired,
including temporary disability after
medical treatment. It practices in
the fields of both healthcare and
social care.
The aim of occupational therapy is
to restore physical and mental
functioning to help people
participate in life to the fullest.
Occupational therapy assessments
often guide hospital discharge
planning, with the majority of
patients given a home assessment
to understand their support needs.
Staff also arrange provision of
essential equipment and
adaptations that are essential for
discharge from hospital.
Oncology
This department provides
radiotherapy and a full
range of chemotherapy
treatments for cancerous
tumours and blood
disorders.
Staffed by specialist
doctors and nurses trained
in oncology (cancer care),
it has close links with
surgical and medical
teams in other
departments.
Ophthalmology
Eye departments provide a
range of ophthalmic services
for adults and children,
including:
general eye clinic
appointments
laser treatments
optometry (sight testing)
orthoptics (non-surgical
treatments, eg for squints)
prosthetic eye services
ophthalmic imaging (eye
scans).
Orthopaedics
Orthopaedic departments treat
problems that affect your
musculoskeletal system. That's
your muscles, joints, bones,
ligaments, tendons and nerves.
The doctors and nurses who run
this department deal with
everything from setting bone
fractures to carrying out surgery
to correct problems such as torn
ligaments and hip replacements.
Orthopaedic trauma includes
fractures and dislocations as well
as musculoskeletal injuries to
soft tissues.
Pain management clinics
Usually run by consultant
anaesthetists, these
clinics aim to help treat
patients with severe long-
term pain that appears
resistant to normal
treatments.
Depending on the
hospital, a wide range of
options are available, such
as acupuncture, nerve
blocks and drug
treatment.
Pharmacy
The hospital pharmacy is run by
pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and
attached staff.
It's responsible for drug-based services
in the hospital, including:
the purchasing, supply and
distribution of medication and
pharmaceuticals
inpatient and outpatient dispensing
clinical and ward pharmacy
the use of drugs.
A pharmacy will provide a drug
formulary for hospital doctors to use as
a guide. It will also help supervise any
clinical trial management and ward
drug-use review.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapists promote body
healing, for example after
surgery, through therapies such
as exercise and manipulation.
This means they assess, treat and
advise patients with a wide range
of medical conditions. They also
provide health education to
patients and staff on how to do
things more easily.
Their services are provided to
patients on the wards, in the
physiotherapy department itself
and in rehabilitation units.
Physiotherapists often work
closely with orthopaedic teams.
Radiotherapy
Run by a combination
of consultant doctors
and specially trained
radiotherapists, this
department provides
radiotherapy (X-ray)
treatment for
conditions such as
malignant tumours
and cancer.
Renal unit
Closely linked with
nephrology teams at
hospitals, these units
provide haemodialysis
treatment for patients
with kidney failure. Many
of these patients are on
waiting lists for a kidney
transplant.
They also provide
facilities for peritoneal
dialysis and help facilitate
home haemodialysis.
Rheumatology
Specialist doctors called
rheumatologists run the unit and
are experts in the field of
musculoskeletal disorders (bones,
joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles
and nerves).
Their role is to diagnose conditions
and recommend appropriate
treatment, if necessary from the
orthopaedic department.
The rheumatologist may need to
review you regularly, either in
person or via one of the
rheumatology team.
Alternatively, your condition may
be one your GP can manage in the
community. Many conditions are
managed jointly between the GP
and the hospital care team.
Sexual health (genitourinary
medicine)
This department provides a free and
confidential service offering:
advice, testing and treatment for
all sexually transmitted
infections (STIs)
family planning care (including
emergency contraception and
free condoms)
pregnancy testing and advice.
It also provides care and support for
other sexual and genital problems.
Patients are usually able to phone
the department directly for an
appointment and don't need a
referral letter from their GP.
Urology
The urology department is run by
consultant urology surgeons and
their surgical teams. It investigates
all areas linked to kidney and
bladder-based problems.
The department performs:
flexible cystoscopy bladder
checks
urodynamic studies (eg for
incontinence)
prostate assessments and
biopsies
shockwave lithotripsy to break
up kidney stones.
