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COVID-19: Changes to service
Here is a list of changes to our services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please use the contact details of each service if you have any questions.
Antenatal outpatients services
Breast Services (Primrose Breast Unit)
Hepatology (South West Liver Unit)
Scans and other diagnostic imaging
Minor Injury Unit/Urgent Treatment Centre (MIU/UTC) - South Hams Hospital (Kingsbridge)
Neurology & Healthcare of the Elderly
Planned Investigation Unit (PIU)
SHiP (Sexual Health in Plymouth)
Acute Assessment Unit (AAU)
From 11 May 2020, the Acute Assessment Unit has relocated from its original department on Level 6 Zone B to the Fracture Clinic, Level 6 Zone A. The unit is open from 0:800 - 20:00 Monday to Friday.
Contact details
01752 435614
Allergy Service
Although day case admissions are reduced, the service will continue to provide a proportion of desensitisation admissions and patient receiving Omalizumab treatment at present. We are reviewing the service on a weekly basis. The service will temporarily discontinue the provision of challenges, and skin prick testing until the COVID-19 pandemic ends.
Routine telephone consultations will continue at present.
Contact details
01752 431672
Antenatal outpatients services
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Antenatal growth and anomaly scans will now take place at Plymouth Argyle Home Park Stadium. All other antenatal outpatient services will remain normal service at this time. Any further changes to service will be updated as and when they occur. Read more here.
Effective 30 March 2020.
Contact details
01752 439794
Audiology - Newborn Hearing Screening
All routine appointments are postponed until further notice. Hearing aid repairs are OPEN with a postal and drop-off service.
Telephone appointments are being carried out where possible.
Our audiology team are screening as many newborns as possible whilst they are in our maternity unit. Normally this service is provided in the community but we recognse this programme is not currently running in all parts of the community across Devon.
Effective 24 March 2020.
Contact details
Newborn hearing screening: 01752 437480
Audiology appointments: 01752 431251 / 431253 / 431254
Audiology technical queries: 01752 430846
Breast Services (Primrose Breast Unit)
Breast screening service has been postponed at present. However, we are offering phone consultations to appropiate patients, including results of clinics and post-op results. We are running a reduced surgery service from Care UK Peninsula Treatment Centre on Brest Road.
Effective 23 March.
Contact details
Reception for general queries regarding appointments 01752 432066
Breast Care Nurses for any medical queries 01752 431898
Cancer Services
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Cardiology
Inpatient procedures: We have suspended all routine elective cath lab procedures for both UHP and The Peninsula Heart Clinic. We are writing to patients advising of the delays and advice for worsening conditions.
Cardiology outpatients: we have temporarily suspended face-to-face consultations for both newly-referred patients and those under follow-up review, and are instead booking telephone consultations.
Contact details
Paul Smith, Cardiology Clinical Administration Manager – (01752) 432908
Chantelle Lea, Cardiology Cluster Administrator – (01752) 439234
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Elective cardiac/thoracic surgery was largely suspended during the escalation phase of the pandemic, but at the end of April we are expecting some surgery will start again shortly. This was because of the extra risk of surgery if you catch the virus around the time of your operation. If you are on a waiting list for surgery, you should have been contacted to assess how you are and if necessary how to get further help. Outpatients have either been via telephone or video calls with the surgeon, to avoid the risk of travelling and exposure to the virus. Pre-assessment is still face to face, as you will need to have blood tests and x-rays. Some face to face outpatients will resume in the near future. If you are admitted or transferred for surgery, you should have been isolated for minimum of 7 and ideally 14 days prior to admission, you will be telephoned the day/48 hours before to ask about your symptoms and contacts, you will be tested on admission, and have a scan to look for signs of the virus.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Cardiac Surgery: 01752 439253
Thoracic Surgery: 01752 431855
Dentistry - Restorative
Patient care is currently suspended. Any patient in pain or with issues needs to contact their local General Dental Practitioner or call 111. Through these systems they will be triaged to ensure appropriate care is given. This can be escalated to a treatment Hub if suitable. Hubs starting to open now, arranged though NHS England.
Dentistry - Urgent Care
Please note this is not a UHP-provided service but is included here to help our local population. An urgent dental centre has been set up in Plymouth and another in Bodmin for those needing treatment. To get access, people should phone their own dentist to be assessed. Those without a dentist or who cannot get through to their usual surgery should call the helpline below. Patients will only be seen after a referral via the triage system. There is no drop-in access.
Devon - Call 03330 063300
Email accessdentalhelpline@nhs.net
Cornwall - Call 0333 405 0290
Email westcountrydental.care@nhs.net
Dermatology
All routine outpatient appointments and routine elective surgery has been postponed at present. However, we are open for emergencies on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (08:30 to 16:00). We will still be offering a limited service for urgent and suspected skin cancer patients. Please call us on the number below if you feel your skin problem is of an emergency nature.
For patients taking medication who are due a prescription please call or email: plh-tr.dermatologyreception@nhs.net with the following information:
- Your full name and hospital number.
- The name of the medication you are taking.
- The dose of medication you are taking.
- Confirm the date of your recent blood test.
Contact details
Outpatient appointments:01752 439936
Elective admissions: 01752 437039
Dermatology Secretaries 01752 437026 or 01752 437109
Dermatology Reception 01752 439712
Advice and Guidance for vulnerable Dermatology patients is available on this link: http://www.bad.org.uk/shared/get-file.ashx?itemtype=document&id=6648
For GPs: Please direct as many urgent referrals (as are suitable) through teledermatology. This is the advice and guidance part of e-rs. For this we need a detailed history as well as a photo. For urgent advice (acute patients), please contact Switchboard on 01752 202082 and ask for the on-call dermatology. The Specialist Registrar answers this.
Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT)
At present, due to COVID-19, no routine patients are being seen in the department. However, the service will continue to see patients who are on a two week wait pathway, and emergency cases. After reviewing your referral a consultant will decide if you will have a telephone appointment, or if you need a face to face appointment, or if your appointment will be deferred.
Contact
- Outpatient appointments - 01752 439703
- Admin - 01752 439391 / 01752 439389
- Inpatient/Day Case Admissions - 01752 439889
- Emergency Ear’s Sister Sargent - 01752 430426 (unmanned – leave voice message
Emergency Department
The Emergency Department is here for you. If you have prolonged chest pain, breathlessness, symptoms of a stroke, abnormal bleeding, severe abdominal pain, or any significant injury please attend the Emergency Department at Derriford. If you have a minor injury, please attend the Minors Unit at Nuffield Hospital.
The Minors Unit at Nuffield is open 08:00 - 22:000. If you have a life-theatening emergency, call 999.
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Stroke or Heart Attack:
Parents of young children:
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Endoscopy
All routine Endoscopy appointments have been postponed until further notice. Only patients who are very clinically urgent or come into Derriford as an emergency will be listed for Endoscopy. These referrals will be triaged by a Gastroenterology consultant.
A Gastroenterology consultant is reviewing the notes for all patients who are referred, and an appointment will only be offered if absolutely essential. An alternative diagnostic investigation will be organised where necessary.
Contact details
Telephone: 01752 438407
Fracture Clinic
Fracture Clinic has moved to Orthopaedic Outpatients in Car Park F. Where possible, we are changing all appointments to telephone calls. This may not always be appropriate but we will advise you.
Contact details
Fracture Clinic Appointments 01752 439808
Gastroenterology
We have changed all appointments to telephone contact, excluding very urgent IBD patients who will be seen face to face.
IBD Infusions are moving from Derriford to CRGW (Fertility Clinic) from 06/04/20.
Contact details
Email gastro med secs inbox: plh-tr.Gastro-secretarial@nhs.net
Gynaecology
All routine outpatient appointments and routine elective surgery have been postponed at present. Any patient who has been booked for an outpatient appointment will be contacted to arrange a telephone consultation with our Gynaecology Consultants.
Contact details
Queries relating to outpatient appointments please contact 01752 431598
For queries regarding elective admissions please contact 01752 431396
Hepatology (South West Liver Unit)
A letter with advice for liver patients can be found here.
A phlebotomy clinic has been set up at the Territorial Army Centre for the most vulnerable Hepatology patients to ensure safe taking of bloods away from an acute setting.
Contact details
Email hepatology med secs inbox: plh-tr.HepatologySecretaries@nhs.net
Scans and other diagnostic imaging
If you have an appointment with us please do attend unless notified otherwise.
Our Imaging Team are continuing to provide diagnostic scans for those patients referred under the 2 week-wait pathway by GPs (suspected cancer) and clinically urgent cases, where possible.
Due to the need to response to the COVID-19 pandemic, for the foreseeable future , we are not currently able to provide routine outpatient appointments. Patients referred for routine scans will be added to a waiting list and contacted as soon as possible when our services are able to return to normal.?
Immunology Service
As of 07 April 2020, this service will move to CRGW (Centre for Reproduction & Gynaecology Wales and the West - 10 William Prance Rd, Plymouth PL6 5WR)
- Delivery of IVIg infusions
- Urgent face-to-face outpatient appointments
- Home therapy training
The service will continue to provide nurse home visits for technique review for those patients treating themselves at home.
In order to still provide treatment to the most vulnerable group of patients within the service, the nurse specialist will visit patients home to deliver IVIg/SCIg infusions. This is a change to our service in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Routine telephone consultations will continue at present, which is reviewed on a weekly basis.
Contact details
01752 431672
Maxillofacial Surgery
At present, all routine outpatient appointments and operations have been postponed. However, patients referred on a two week wait pathway, and cancer patients will be offered face-to-face appointments when necessary. Please note, if you are coming in for an urgent case, we will ask you some questions and take your temperature as part of our Covid-19 screening.
Urgent outpatient biopsies and oral surgery will continue, along with outpatient department reviews.
Contact details
If you have any questions about your appointment or condition, please call 01752 01752 432743 or 01752 432983
Urgent outpatient biopsies and oral surgery will continue, along with outpatient department reviews.
Minor Injury Unit
Until further notice the MIU/UTC at South Hams Hospital (Kingsbridge) will only be open Monday to Friday 9:00 - 17:00
Neurology & Healthcare of the Elderly
Most follow up appointments will now be postponed. However, patients may be offered an appointment by telephone, rather than face-to-face. All urgent new appointments are being reviewed by a consultant and will only be offered if absolutely essential.
Contact details:
Neurology Secretaries - 01752 437698
HCE Secretaries - 01752 43693
Neurosurgery
Outpatient appointments and procedures are postponed at present. However, our outpatient department will be referring urgent cases where necessary. We are also trialing video call appointments through 'Attend Anywhere' where possible.
Please don't hesitate to contact the team if you have any questions.
Contact details
01752 439381 – Annie Pengelly, Speciality Coordinator.
01752 431382 – Service Line Support
Oncology
Your Oncology service is moving to the Nuffield Hospital site (which is across the road from Derriford) from 06 April 2020. Patient care will remain the same high quality and you will be treated by your specialist UHP staff who will work jointly with the Nuffield nursing teams and their Resident Medical Officer (RMO).
Now at Nuffield:
- Oncology Clinics
- Brent Ward
- Lyd Chemotherapy Unit
- Phlebotomy Service
- Subcutaneous Injections
Remains at Derriford:
- Outpatient appointments on Level 2 take place Monday - Thursdays from the 06 April 2020 until further notice
- Dr Dubey’s Oncology Clinic - weeks 2 and 4 (on Tuesdays)
- Haematology
- Chest Clinics
Contact:
You will be contacted about changes to your appointments, but if you need any advice or more information please don’t hesitate to contact us.
- Oncology Outpatient appointments - 01752 430428
- Lyd Ward 01752 430290
- Brent Ward 01752 432593
Orthodontics
Routine orthodontic outpatient appointments have been postponed until further notice, this includes surgery for removing and uncovering buried teeth. The medical notes for all patients are being reviewed by the clinical team and we are phoning patients to provide advice when needed.
Any patients with an emergency should telephone us. A clinician will then phone them back to assess the situation and provide advice where appropriate. Please note, during exceptional emergencies and treatment, staff will be wearing appropriate PPE due to the risk of Covid-19 droplet spread from the oral cavity and nose.
Patients can use the following link to the British Orthodontic Society website for helpful videos and factsheets. https://www.bos.org.uk/News-and-Events/COVID19-BOS-Advice
Contact details
01752 432743
01752 432983
Orthopaedics
Unfortunately we have suspended routine Orthopaedic Surgery. Urgent cases will reviewed on a case by case basis.
Where possible, we will conduct telephone consultations for patients instead of face to face appointments. If a face to face appointment is deemed more appropriate, we may postpone your appointment to a more suitable safer time.
Contact details
Please contact your Consultant’s Secretary for further details.
Pain Management
At present, we have postponed all routine appointments. However, if your require an urgent procedure a consultant or one of our specialist team will review your case arrange a telephone appointment or face to face appointment where absolutely necessary.
Contact details
01752 431704
Paediatrics - Acute
All safeguarding clinics have moved to the Child Development Centre, from 30 March 2020.
Contact details
Rachel Deakin 01752 431397
Anita Dykes 01752 439887
Sam Rafferty 01752 439433
Paediatrics - Community (Child Development Centre and Children’s Community Nursing)
The majority of our appointments will now be taking place by phone - we are contacting young people and families to inform them of this. If there is a clear need for us to see a young person face-to-face then we can arrange an appointment at the Child Development Centre. In this circumstance, we would ask that only the young person and one adult attend.
Our Children's Community Nursing Team remain in contact by phone with young people who have complex care needs and their families in order to offer advice and support. If required, they are making essential home visits. The Community Nursing team will talk to you about how they can complete any home visits as safely as possible.
We are able to offer alternative arrangements where a prescription is required, reducing the need for families to make multiple journeys. We will discuss this with parents & carers if we need to provide a prescription.
Contact details
Young people and families can continue to contact us by phone, either using direct numbers or via reception on 01742 439400.
However, all new or non-urgent queries can be directed to plh-tr.CDCPlymouth@nhs.net and we will respond as soon as possible.
Phlebotomy Community Clinics
Community Phlebotomy clinics have been moved to Home Park but remain scheduled as normal. Read more here
Contact details
01752 763035
Planned Investigation Unit (PIU)
The Planned Investigation Unit has relocated its services to the Endoscopy Unit on Level 7 for procedures that need to happen in the hospital, and the CGRW building on William Prance Road for those that can be provided off site.
Endoscopy Unit:
- Bronchoscopy
- Radiology Procedures (such as Angioplasty or Ultrasound Guided Biopsies)
- Greater Occipital Nerve Injections
CGRW:
- Infusions
The team delivering these services remains the same.
Contact details
01752 439984
01752 439982
Plastic Surgery
All routine outpatient appointments and routine elective surgery has been postponed.
Any patient who has been booked for an outpatient appointment will shortly be contacted by our admin team to arrange a telephone consultation with our Plastic Surgery Consultants.
Plastic Trauma Services have been relocated to Care UK, the Peninsula Treatment Centre on Brest Road.
All local anaesthetic surgery will be relocated to Tavistock Hospital.
Contact details
Outpatient appointments:439936
Elective admissions: 432215 (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday or 431519 )
Plastic Trauma Appointments: 506118
Tavistock Appointments: 436105
Critical Care Psychology
Most people from Critical Care Psychology have been discharged, but we have written to patients individually to say that this does not mean they cannot access a service. We will be offering telephone drop in appointments – initially on Monday and Friday morning.
We have been running a monthly expert by experience group and this will be held online and offered to all our previous and new out-patients. In addition we were facilitating a monthly Intensive Care Multi-Disciplinary Follow Up clinic. We have written to all the people currently on the waiting list to advise that we have taken the decision to put the clinic on hold and will be in contact when the situation alters. They have all also been offered the option of the telephone drop in clinic. We will continue to send out screening questions to people discharged from ICU who will also be offered the option of telephone drop in appointments and going on the waiting list for the follow up clinic when it resumes.
Contact details
REI (Royal Eye Infirmary)
New opening hours:
Open 8-6 Monday-Friday.
Open 8.30-13.00 Saturday.
Closed Sunday. Please ring Derriford Hospital 01752 202082 and switchboard will take your number and they will get the triage nurse to ring you.
Renal and Transplantation
Many renal and transplantation clinics are being moved to telephone clinics. However due to the nature of renal conditions and the need for patients to have regular blood tests, consultants are reviewing their clinic lists on a weekly basis to decide if a patient needs to be seen face-to-face or offered a telephone appointment.
If a patient is required to have bloods taken before their telephone consultation they will be informed about this by phone and will receive blood forms in the post to get these done at either their GP surgery (if practice willing) or the phlebotomy department at Derriford Hospital.
The appointments team will inform patients of their clinic appointment date and time. This is subject to change and processes are being reviewed daily.
Contact details
Patients to continue ringing their consultants secretary:
Dr Connor, Dr Herbert, Dr Tse, Dr Kiani and Dr Rowe – 01752 431308
Dr Cramp, Dr Houlberg, Dr Saif – 01752 439753
Transplant patients – 01752 439957
Rheumatology
All routine new outpatient appointments have been postponed until further notice. All follow-up appointments will now be provided by telephone or video consultation. If it's necessary to see a patient in person, appointments are being arranged to ensure staggered attendance with no waits.
Urgent injections will continue for those patients in need of them. Likewise, infusions which are deemed clinically necessary by the Specialist nurses and Consultants will also continue.
From Monday 30 March Rheumatology is providing same day/next day urgent care and advice for new and existing patients presenting to acute services.
Contact details
Nurse advice line – 01752 439688 or email plh-tr.rheumatologypatientsadvice@nhs.net
Please note calls to secretaries will be diverted to one telephone and these will be answered within 24 hours.
SHiP (Sexual Health in Plymouth)
Face-to-face appointments have been replaced with telephone consultations/online testing/medication pick ups. If it's necessary to see a patient in person, appointments are being arranged to ensure staggered attendance with no waits.
Clinics based away from Derriford Hospital are on hold with centralised delivery from SHiP at Derriford Hospital for patients who are given a face to face appointment.
Pregnancy Advisory Clinic service is continuing but with telephone consultation preparation calls and a single one-stop appointment in SHiP. For detailed information regarding services available please visit the SHiP website www.yourship.uk
Contact details
Phone number: 01752 431124
Thoracic Medicine
The Thoracic Medicine Chest clinic is largely switching to telephone clinics, except where consultants think it is important that patients are seen in person or have tests. We aim to contact all patients currently booked into clinic to inform them of how their appointment will conducted.
The number of clinics we offer will be reduced as we are increasingly needed on the wards to treat patients with COVID-19.
We intend to continue running some clinics for as long as possible - such as TB, Cancer and Biologics clinics.
We have stopped doing lung function tests for all but essential cases (eg where lung function determines suitability for essential surgery).
Contact details
Main Helpline – 01752 432332
COVID queries - 01752 437918
Email – respiratoryguidance@nhs.net