Clinics

General outpatients clinic

Frequency

• Monday, 9am to 1pm and 1:30pm to 5:30pm
• Wednesday, 9am to 1pm and 1:30pm to 5:30pm
• Thursday, 9am to 1pm

This clinic provides consultation and management for general gynaecological problems, including:

• heavy or painful periods
• fibroids (non-cancerous growths)
• pelvic pain (the area below your tummy button)
• counselling if you are considering sterilisation as a contraception method

We also have an advanced endometriosis clinic.

You may have investigations such as blood tests or a pelvic scan before coming to this clinic.

Pre-assessment clinic

Frequency: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm

These clinics are nurse-led. They run alongside the general gynaecology clinic.

Our nurses will assess you shortly before your surgery date. They will check if there have been any major changes since your last appointment. They also make sure that you are fit for surgery and understand what it involves.

We'll do any investigations and blood tests you need before surgery in this clinic. We'll also identify patients who are more likely to have problems due to anaesthetic (being put to sleep during surgery). We'll put a plan together to lower the risk of complications.

We offer a 'one stop' pre-assessment clinic for the day surgery unit. We assess you and perform any tests on the same day as your clinic visit.

Menopause and early menopause clinics

Frequency: Thursday, 1:30pm to 5:30pm (alternate weeks)

We help with a wide range of menopausal problems including:

• severe menopausal symptoms
• early menopause
• problems finding the correct hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
• bleeding while taking HRT
• if you need specialist care as you have other medical conditions

There are also facilities available to investigate abnormal bleeding within this clinic.

This clinic is consultant and nurse-led.

Minor procedures clinic

Frequency

• Monday, 9am to 5:30pm
• Wednesday, 9am to 1pm
• Thursday, 9am to 5:30pm

These are one-stop clinics for consultation, diagnosis and treatment. You'll see either a nurse or a doctor. They will carry out any investigations to diagnose your problem. They will explain what could be wrong and offer advice or treatment. At this clinic we treat and support with:

• abnormal or heavy vaginal bleeding, such as bleeding between periods, after sex or after the menopause
• irregular periods
• cervical polyps (small growths of tissue on the neck of your womb)
• heavy or bad smelling vaginal discharge
• problems with their vagina or vulva
• problems with coils (a method of contraception)

It is important you are not pregnant when we carry out our investigations. If you are pregnant, we might not be able to complete your investigations during the appointment.

If you think that you will be having your period on the day of your appointment, or you are bleeding on the day, please call one of the nurses. This can affect some of the investigations.

You might be asked to complete a questionnaire or diary before coming to the clinic, such as details of the medicine you take or a menstrual diary.

Some investigations, for example taking a biopsy, can cause bleeding. The bleeding will not be heavy, but will last a few days. It is important not to use tampons for this bleed, so please bring a sanitary pad or panty liner with you.

If you have any concerns about the appointment please contact us.

At this clinic you might also have the following investigations:

• an ultrasound scan, placing a small probe into your vagina. It produces a black and white image of your womb and ovaries on a screen. This does not hurt
• a physical examination, blood tests, swab tests and a cervical smear test
• a hysteroscopy, passing a telescope-like instrument with a camera on the end through your cervix to look at the inside of your womb. This gives a colour image. We might need to give you an injection of local anaesthetic into the cervix. This might sting
• a biopsy (tissue sample) of the lining of your womb and your cervix
• a biopsy and removal of any polyps/skin tags (small growths of skin) found on the vulva or cervix
• cauterisation of your cervix (using heat to remove a layer of cells that bleed easily)

We'll send you a detailed information leaflet explaining your treatment with your appointment.

Please allow 3 to 4 hours for your consultation, investigations and treatment.

This clinic is led by:

Reproductive medicine clinic

Frequency: Wednesday, 1:30pm to 5:30pm

This clinic gives advice if you or your partner:

• are experiencing difficulties conceiving
• have experienced repeated problems in early pregnancy

We work with the assisted conception clinic.

Advanced endometriosis clinic

Frequency

• Wednesday, 1:30pm to 5:30pm (alternate weeks)
• Thursday, 9am to 1pm (alternate weeks)
• clinical nurse specialist clinic, Tuesday (phone consultations) and Thursday, 9am to 5:30pm

This clinic is for complex endometriosis patients.

At this clinic you'll see:

• gynaecologists
• a nurse specialist

We also work closely with the pain management team, urologists and laparoscopic (keyhole) bowel surgeons.

Our nurse specialist runs a weekly clinic as well as telephone consultations. They can provide:

• ongoing support
• monitoring the impact of your symptoms on your quality of life

This support is available for up to 2 years following surgery.

We also run a monthly support group run with volunteers from Endometriosis UK.

This clinic is led by:

• Professor Janice Rymer
• Mr Kumar Kunde

Read Hope and Claudia’s staff blog to find out more about the endometriosis care they provide.

Bladder, bowel and pelvic floor muscle disorders

Our women's and men's health physiotherapy service provides specialist physiotherapy care for people with bladder, bowel and pelvic floor muscle related disorders.

We offer treatment for:

• incontinence
• birth-related pelvic floor conditions
• long-term (chronic) pelvic pain
• lower back and pelvic pain during and after pregnancy

Ambulatory gynaecology clinic

Frequency: Wednesday, 9am to 1pm

This clinic provides simple, minor procedures without general anaesthetic or hospital admission.

The procedures we offer include:

• removal of endometrial polyps and small fibroids from the lining of the womb with hysteroscopy 

At the clinic you will see a doctor or a nurse. The procedure will last between 15 to 30 minutes but you should plan to be in the clinic for 2 hours.

After the procedure the doctor or nurse will explain their findings as well as any treatment you have had. You'll stay in the clinic until you feel well enough to go home.

Recurrent miscarriage

Frequency: Monday, 1:30pm to 5:30pm

This clinic is for people who have suffered multiple miscarriages.

You may have been seen in an emergency at our early pregnancy and acute gynaecology unit (EPAGU), or referred by your GP. You'll have an ultrasound scan with a nurse sonographer before your appointment with a consultant. The consultant will discuss your scan results and your future plans for pregnancy.

Suspected cancer clinic

Frequency: Tuesday and Friday, 9am to 5:30pm

This clinic provides a one-stop assessment clinic for people meeting the NICE (2004) referral criteria for urgent suspected cancer referrals.

All patients will be given an appointment within 2 weeks of receiving a GP referral.

This clinic also provides an assessment service for suspected gynaecological malignancies from referrals from other teams in Guy's and St Thomas', such as the emergency department and the genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic.