Out of hours (page 4001)

During the weekend day shift, the junior doctor carrying pager 4001:

• covers Ward 210
• participates in the 210 ward round
• manages gynae emergency referrals in the 210 treatment room

Once the gynae tasks are completed, you will then head to obstetric triage/ward 119 to assist.

You may also be called to help with obstetric cases in theatre.

During the weekend night shift, the junior doctor is on call for Ward 210.

If possible, please try to anticipate and complete discharges for the following day.

This is again covered by pager 4001. If you see a patient overnight who is well enough to be discharged but requires a scan and follow-up appointment in the gynae triage diary the following day, ensure their name is added to the triage diary. The nursing staff will then contact the patient in the morning with a review time. Out of hours, the triage diary is stored in the filing cabinet under base A on Ward 210, second drawer down.

There is also a 09:00 ward scan slot typically reserved for emergency admissions from Ward 210. Ensure the patient is ready to go to the scan department at 09:00 to help the sonographers stay on schedule.

You must attend the handover at 08:30 on the labour ward at the start and end of your shift. The only exception is if you have information to pass on to the gynaecology team following a weekday night shift, in which case you should attend the handover on Ward 210.

The Pregnancy Support Centre (PSC) handles the majority of pain and bleeding in early pregnancy during working hours. If you see a patient out of hours with pain or bleeding in early pregnancy who is well enough to go home, you can refer them to PSC for follow-up the next day. Be sure to take blood for an HCG test, as this helps PSC arrange the appropriate follow-up.

Referrals to PSC are still managed on paper and can be found in a blue folder at the Ward 210 front desk. Please provide as much detail as possible in the referral, including an up-to-date contact number for the patient. Advise the patient to expect a call from PSC the following day, but do not promise them a scan, as this will depend on PSC’s assessment and availability.

PSC is a nurse-led service that manages most cases independently, but you may occasionally be called to prescribe medications, complete consent forms for surgical management of miscarriage, insert cannulas in women with ectopic pregnancies, and so on.