Gynaecology
Welcome to the Gynaecology Unit of Bedford Hospital, a dedicated team of consultants, nurses, and support workers. We seek to provide both general and specialised gynaecological services, with a wide range of treatment options and the best possible care.
Our Outpatient Services
The gynaecology and antenatal outpatients department is located on the first floor of Cygnet Wing, Bedford Hospital’s purpose-built women’s and children’s wing. The waiting area has play tables for children, a baby changing room and toilet facilities.
The ultrasound department is situated within the clinic and enables easy access for all antenatal women and gynaecological patients visiting the clinic. There are three scanning rooms, each with a scanning machine. In addition, we operate a highly successful early pregnancy assessment clinic from Monday to Friday for women experiencing early pregnancy problems such as vaginal bleeding.
The outpatients department also has a self-contained colposcopy/ hysteroscopy room, which means that patients can be treated on an outpatient rather than an in-patient basis. In addition, there are seven consulting rooms, a counselling room and office space. We also undertake a nurse-led infertility service within the outpatient department.
Clinics and Services
The outpatient department provides the following services:
- Daily general gynaecology service;
- A joint oncology / gynaecology clinic together with a cancer lead doctor at Bedford;
- Dermatology / gynaecology clinic held by a consultant dermatologist and gynaecologist;
- Colposcopy / hysteroscopy up to five sessions per week, in line with waiting time criteria in cases of suspected cancer;
- Daily scanning service for early pregnancy problems;
- Infertility scanning service, including follicle tracking;
- Nurse led clinic for infertility investigations and vaginismus;
- In addition, we offer a urogynaecology service, run in conjunction with the urodynamic room and pelvic floor physiotherapy service, at Beeden House at Bedford Hospital.
The Gynaecology Unit treats all types of gynaecological issues, including early pregnancy, menstrual problems, and prolapse, with specialist urogynaecology and pelvic floor teams. We do offer all investigations for subfertility, but refer elsewhere for assisted conception.
We also work in conjunction with gynaecologist oncologists at the Cambridge University Hospitals in order to provide a comprehensive cancer service.
Orchard Ward
Orchard Gynaecology Ward is an 11-bedded ward providing a 24 hour acute service for women with gynaecological problems. All emergency patients with gynaecological or early pregnancy disorders are cared for on Orchard Gynae Ward, as well as women undergoing early or mid-trimester miscarriages and terminations of pregnancy. We also care for women having major breast surgery.
Women undergoing minor gynaecological surgery are admitted to Tavistock Ward (Day Surgery Unit)
At the L&D we offer a holistic approach to women’s care delivered through a range of outpatient, day surgery and inpatient services.
Our multi-disciplinary gynaecology department includes consultants, doctors, nurses and specialist therapists, all of whom aim to provide excellent gynaecological care to women, in a clean and comfortable environment, with care and sensitivity.
The L&D waiting lists are short and both our outpatient appointments and inpatient treatment takes place in a dedicated women’s health building, separate from the rest of the hospital.
In addition to our service for general gynaecological disorders and conditions, we offer a wide range of specialist services – detailed below.
Clinics
- Colposcopy
- Early Pregnancy (Nurse Led) & Emergency Gynaecology Clinic
- Endometriosis Clinic
- Fertility Clinic
- General Gynae (including post-menopausal bleeding)
- Gynaecological Cancer
- Menstrual Disorders Clinic
- Nurse-led Early Pregnancy Clinic
- Outpatient Hysteroscopy
- Pelvic Ultrasound
- Termination of Pregnancy
- Urodynamics and Urogynaecology