What are the main departments and clinics in a hospital?
This is a list of the main departments and clinics in a hospital – and what they do.
A
Accident and Emergency (alternate names: Casualty; Emergency Department/Room, ED/ER) = accidents and emergencies
Acute Medicine (Acute Internal Medicine). A branch of medicine that cares for (and sorts) patients between A&E and the rest of the hospital. It may include: an Acute Assessment Unit (AAU), Acute Medical Unit (AMU), Clinical Decision Unit (CDU), Medical Admission Unit (MAU) or Clinic, or Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) Unit
Alcohol Liaison (Drugs and Alcohol)
Allergy
Anaesthesia
Antenatal Clinic
Audiology = hearing. Makes hearing aids
B
Bariatric Surgery = weight loss surgery
Bed Management (Site Management, ‘Site’). Responsible for running the hospital on a day-to-day basis
Bereavement Service
Biochemistry (Clinical Biochemistry). Does blood tests, including tests for diabetes, kidney and liver function
Breast Screening = looking for breast disease. Incudes mammography (x-ray of breast)
Breast Surgery = breast disease
C
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). Childrens’ mental health care
Cardiology = heart disease
Cardiothoracic Surgery = heart surgery
Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD)
Chaplaincy
Charity = fundraising
Chemotherapy = drug treatment for cancer
Clinical Audit. Help departments do audits, which examine their practice and compare performance to national standards
Clinical Coding. Add agreed codes to specific diagnoses. Data used in finance and researcrh
Colorectal Surgery = surgery of colon (large bowel/intestine) and rectum
Colposcopy. A procedure to visually examine the cervix of the uterus (womb)
Communications (‘Comms’)
Computerised Tomography (CT). A form of whole-body x-ray scan
Coronary Care Unit (CCU). For patients with serious heart problems, e.g. heart attacks and heart failure
D
Dentistry
Dermatology = skin disease
Diabetes (see Endocrinology)
Dietetics
Discharge Lounge. Where discharged patients wait for their family or transport to take them home
Domestic Services (Housekeeping)
E
Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT; Otolaryngology)
Endocrinology (and Diabetes) = disease of body’s endocrine organs (‘glands’), e.g. thyroid, adrenal, pancreas (diabetes), reproductive
Endoscopy. Where various procedures of the gastrointestinal tract are performed, e.g. colonoscopy
Estates. Look after the hospital site
Executive Team (‘Execs’). To be obeyed!
F
Fertility (see Infertility)
Finance
Fracture Clinic. Includes Plaster Room
G
Gastroenterology = diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, from mouth to anus
General Medicine (Internal Medicine) (see Acute Medicine, to which it is similar)
General Surgery. Look after people that need emergency operations e.g. appendicitis
Geriatrics (Gerontology; Health Care of Elderly, HCE). Elderly patients
H
Haematology (Clinical Haematology) = blood disease
Haemoglobinopathy. Part of haematology that deals with inherited abnormalities of the blood, like sickle cell disease
Haemophilia and Thrombosis. Part of haematology that deals with abnormal bleeding or clotting
Hand Surgery
Hepatology = liver disease
Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) Surgery = surgery of the liver, pancreas and gall bladder
High Dependency Unit (HDU)
Hospice
Human Resources (HR; Personnel) = staffing
I
Immunology (Clinical Immunology) = immune system disease
Infection Control. Makes sure hospital is as clean and free of infection as possible
Infectious Diseases (ID)
Infertility
Information
Information Technology (IT) (Information Communications Technology, ICT)
Intensive Care Unit (ICU); Intensive Therapy Unit, ITU; General Critical Care (GCC). Includes Critical Care Outreach
Internal Medicine (see General Medicine)
K
Kidney Unit (see Renal)
L
Laboratories (see Pathology)
Labour Ward. Where babies are born
Legal Services
Library
M
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Maternity = obstetrics
Maxillofacial surgery. Includes Dentistry
Medical Illustration
Medical Photography
Medical Physics
Metabolic Medicine
Microbiology
Midwifery
Minor Illness/Injury Unit (MIU) (similar to UTC)
N
Neonatology
Nephrology (Renal) = kidney disease (medical (non-surgery), see Urology)
Neurology = brain disease
Neurophysiology = brain disease tests
Neurosurgery = brain surgery
Nuclear Medicine = A branch of radiology that uses small doses of radioactivity
O
Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G; Maternity) = pregnancy services, diseases of women
Occupational Health
Occupational Therapy (OT)
Oncology = cancer
Ophthalmology (Eye Clinic) = eye disease. May include Eye Casualty
Optometry (Optician). Make glasses and contact lenses
Orthodontics
Orthopaedics (see T&O)
Orthotics (Surgical Appliances)
Outpatient Department (Clinic)
P
Paediatrics
Paediatric Critical Care Unit (PICU)
Pain Management (Clinic)
Palliative Care = care of dying
Pathology. Includes laboratories (‘labs’)
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
Pharmacy (Chemist)
Phlebotomy = blood tests
Physiotherapy (‘physio’)
Plastic Surgery. Includes care of burns patients
Podiatry (Chiropody) = foot disease
Portering
Postgraduate Medical Education (‘Postgrad centre’)
Pre-operative Assessment (‘Preop’)
Procurement
Prosthetics
Psychiatry = mental health disease. Includes liaison psychiatry
Psychology (Clinical Psychology) = talk therapy for mental health problems
R
Radiology = x-rays
Radiotherapy = x-ray treatment for cancer
Rehabilitation
Renal Unit
Research and Development (R&D)
Respiratory (Chest Medicine; Pulmonology) = chest/lung disease
Rheumatology = joint disease
S
Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) Unit (see Acute Medicine)
Sexual Health (Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) clinic; Genitourinary Medicine (GUM)) = sexually transmitted diseases
Social Work
Speech and Language Therapy (SALT)
Stoma
Stroke
Surgery on Day (of) Admission (SODA)
Surgical Assessment Unit (SAU)
Switchboard
T
Theatres. Where operations take place
Tissue Typing
Transplant = replacing a patients organ with one from someone else. Depending on the hospital, different organs get transplanted. These are usually only done in the larger teaching hospitals
Transport
Trauma and Orthopaedics (T&O)
U
Ultrasound
Upper GI (Gastrointestinal) Surgery = surgery of upper intestines
Urgent Treatment Clinic (UTC; Urgent Care Clinic, UCC; Walk-in Centre)
Urogynaecology
Urology = kidney disease (surgery (non-medical), see Nephrology)
V
Vascular Surgery = surgery of blood vessels
Virology
W
Walk-in Centre (see UTC)
Wheelchair Service
X
X-ray (Radiology)
Summary
We have described a list of main departments and clinics in a hospital. We hope it is clearer now.
Other resources
What happens when you see a hospital consultant?
10 things to know about your GP
What happens in a GP appointment?
Last Reviewed on 20 June 2024