Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
General Information
Yeovil District Hospital became a Foundation Trust in 2006. It is a General District Hospital with 271 beds (including 25 in the Maternity Unit) and serves the population of South and East Somerset and North and West Dorset. It has a major Accident and Emergency Centre and a recently upgraded Intensive Therapy Unit and High Dependency Unit. There is good diagnostic support from Pathology and Radiology with CT and MRI scanning
The Paediatric Department consists of a 22 bedded ward with 2 purpose built adolescent rooms and is adjacent to the dedicated Children’s Outpatient and Day Services area. The ward is open to children of all specialties and there is joint working with surgical and orthopaedic teams. There are approximately 2000 paediatric admissions annually and over 1000 new referrals to Paediatric Outpatients each year. Nurse-Led clinics take place and the work of the department is supported by Community Children’s Nurses. A Paediatric Assessment Unit sits within the Accident and Emergency Department. This takes referrals from General Practitioners as well as dealing with children referred from A&E. Middle Grade staff oversee the assessment of these children, arranging appropriate discharge or follow up either as an admission or for review. This is overseen by the Consultant of the Week.
There is an 8 cot Special Care Baby Unit within the Maternity Unit where there are approximately 1400 deliveries per year. The SCBU is staffed with fully trained neonatal nurses and the unit has extended its practice to include support of babies on CPAP, in addition to managing other sick babies that do not require Intensive Care. Babies requiring intensive care are stabilized and transferred to other regional centres providing this service.
Paediatric Therapy services are provided by the PCT within the community. Community Paediatrics is based at the Balidon Centre, about half a mile form the hospital, and works closely with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health services, which are based in the same building. This has resulted in good liaison over the years and joint working where optimal for children and their families.
General Paediatric Outpatient clinics take place daily and peripheral clinics are carried out in Glastonbury, Wincanton, South Petherton, Crewkerne and Sherborne. The department has strong links with the tertiary centres of Bristol and Southampton, with sub-specialist clinics being held regularly at Yeovil. These include Oncology, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Neurology, Paediatric Surgery, Nephrology, Paediatric Urology, Rheumatology and Clinical Genetics. Annual reviews in Cystic Fibrosis in the tertiary team also take place locally. Junior medical staff are encouraged to attend these combined clinics.
Postgraduate Education
The post is recognized by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health for General Professional Training and for the Diploma in Child Health.
Study leave may be granted for approved courses in accordance with the current hospital policy and contract.
There is an active Post-graduate Centre and a good Library. The Department on level 10 and the Neonatal Unit keep Paediatric textbooks for reference. There are good internet connections via terminals located within the department and the Post-graduate Centre.
Other Hospital Staff:
Staff Grade 2
ST4-8 5
FY1 1
FY2 3
VTS 3
Accommodation
Single accommodation is available. Some married accommodation may also be available.