Radiology Day Case Unit

Southampton's main Radiology department, some years ago investigated ways of improving the service for patients. It was decided to open a day case unit reducing the hospital's waiting list by admitting patients directly for their investigations and treatment without taking up bed space on the wards

The RDCU was set up as a nurse-led unit, run by nurses with specialist radiology training. This means that the care of the patient from the first phone call to the discharge and follow-up appointments, is handled by the RDCU nurses. They have detailed knowledge of all the procedures commonly undertaken in radiology, and are involved in developing patient information services.

The pilot study, showed that this mode of admission was safe for patients having their investigations and treatments carried out in this way. A six-month long survey of patients after their discharge showed that they appreciated the swiftness of their appointments, approved of the standard of care, and even enjoyed their stay with us.

Procedures undertaken as day cases:

Liver biopsy Post-TIPSS venogram
Lung biopsy CT Portogram 
Renal (kidney) biopsy Leg venogram
Bone biopsy Embolization of fibroid
Spleen biopsy Embolization of varicocele
Catheter/tube change Sedation for MRI/CT
Cholangiogram Thyroid biopsy
Angiogram/arteriogram Trans-rectal biopsy of prostate
Therapeutic joint injection Discogram
Lipiodol angiogram Aspiration of cyst
 

Care Pathways: for example a Liver biopsy

When a patient sees the consultant in the outpatients' department and is advised that a liver biopsy is needed, the request comes to the RDCU. A senior nurse checks the details and phones/writes to the patient with two appointments: the first for an assessment & blood tests, the second for the biopsy. The appointment letter includes an information leaflet about the biopsy.