Hospital Departments
Here are some typical departments found in most British hospitals.
Accident and Emergency (A&E) also called Casualty
This department is the place to get urgent medical attention. Patients often arrive by ambulance. A triage nurse decides which patients must see a doctor quickly.
It’s called ER (Emergency room) is American English.
Anaesthesics
This department deals with pain and gives anaesthetic for operations.
Intensive Care (ICU)
In Japan patients often wake up in intensive care after surgery. In other countries they wake up in a recovery room.
Cardiology
This department is for patients with heart or circulation problems. It carries out electrocardiograms (ECG) and exercise tests to check if a patient’s heart is working correctly. It places electronic pacemakers in patients, carries out echocardiograms (ultrasound scans of the heart) scans of the carotid artery to check for risk of a stroke.
Ear Nose and Throat (ENT)
The technical name for this department is “otolaryngology”. Many native speakers of English won’t understand that word, so just call it “the ear nose and throat department”. This department helps with ENT allergies, tear duct problems, cancers of the head and neck, balance and hearing disorders, voice disorders and general ear, nose and throat diseases.
Diagnostic Imaging
Oder people may call this the “X-ray department”. It carries out x-rays, radiography scans such as CT, MRI and PET scans, ultrasound scans, mammography (breast scans) and angiography (x-ray of blood vessels)
Gastroenterology
This department treats bowel-related conditions. It deals with the digestive tract, the pancreas and bile duct system. It carries out colonoscopies and gastroscopies and other endoscopies.
Gynaecology
This department deals with women’s health issues such as female urinary infections, reproductive health and infertility, smear tests for cervical cancer screening and menopausal changes.
General surgery
This department carries out major operations, day surgery, transplants and other surgical procedure such as inserting a chemotherapy port.