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Change History |
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To introduce Independent Nurse Activity in the Outpatient ds + QS1 |
An administrative arrangement enabling patients to see a consultant, Independent Nurse, a member of his firm or associated health professionals and providing the opportunity for consultation, investigation and treatment.
Includes clinics run by GP's acting as consultants by the arrangement of the health care provider, but excludes clinics not controlled by a consultant or an Independent Nurse (e.g. run by midwives or GPs in their own right).
Attendance is normally by prior appointment. Although a consultant or an Independent Nurse is in overall charge, they may not be present on all occasions that the clinic is held (however a member of their firm or locum will always be present).
A consultant out-patient clinic usually occurs at regular intervals to a fixed pattern in the same location. It is always pre-arranged. Consultants or Independent Nurses may hold out-patient clinics in many locations. It may be held in an out-patient department or elsewhere on a hospital site for example, accident and emergency department or a ward or on premises off the hospital site which may or may not be NHS owned. An out-patient clinic may be held on a ward if a consultant or Independent Nurse has a regular arrangement to see patients who are not using a hospital bed. Out-patients may be seen in premises covered by contractual arrangements with non-NHS providers. These arrangements differ from district to district. Although details of the availability of this resource are not required, the number of patients seen under a contractual arrangement should be recorded.
Number of clinic sessions held: sessions held (not merely scheduled) by or on behalf of one consultant or Independent Nurse. The following clinics should count as a single session:-
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a. |
One consultant present, however, many other doctors are assisting. |
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b. |
No consultant present but held specifically on behalf of a consultant. |
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c. |
Held jointly by consultants in different specialties; these should be recorded as a single unit under joint consultant clinic (code 9900). |
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d. |
A clinic held by an Independent Nurse |
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e. |
Any combination of joint ante-natal, post-natal and gynaecology sessions; recorded as an ante-natal session. |
Cancelled clinic session: one which was intended to be available but which was not held by any specialty, classified by the last specialty scheduled to the session.
Included are cancellations due to unplanned study leave, sickness and holidays. Cancellations due to public or planned holidays or planned study leave should be taken into account instead in the number intended to be available.