The main aim of the Pain Clinic is to improve quality of life.  Pain relief is not always possible.

A management plan will be prepared for all patients who are seen in the Pain Clinic. This will often involve attending a pain management programme to help them develop better coping strategies and an exercise programme. We can help them develop new skills but they may continue to have pain.

Once the patient has been through a programme we have little else to offer and a review in the clinic for the same problem rarely alters anything.

Patients must be encouraged with the support from their GP to develop their self-management skills and re-attending our clinic should be discouraged. We would be happy to provide support and advice and the Pain Management Team would be happy to offer a follow up appointment but this should be arranged through direct contact with the Pain Clinic and NOT through NHS eReferrals to one of the Pain Consultants.

If the patient develops a different pain problem we would be happy to offer further advice

You have been referred to the Pain Clinic because your pain is interfering with your quality of life and your ability to function effectively.  Pain that persists can be distressing and disabling. 

Most of the interventions we offer will help about one third of patients and will reduce the intensity of pain but not take it away.  Response to treatment varies from person to person, even if they seem to have the same symptoms. 
Your pain specialist will make an assessment of you and of your pain and decide which treatment(s) might be helpful in your case.

Injections may help some individuals but they often only have a limited effect and should be part of a multidisciplinary (joined up) management programme. A decision on an injection will only be made after a full discussion with the patient if it is considered appropriate.

With support, many patients can start to exercise, engage with hobbies and resume work (full or part-time). We want to help people move forward and for this reason it is unhelpful for us to disable our patients by saying that they are unfit to work.

Our Pain Service works to support you and your GP to manage your pain.  The treatments we offer are familiar to your GP and your GP will be experienced in managing day-to-day queries about your pain treatment. 

Your pain specialist may make a pain treatment plan for you and your GP to follow together. Your GP will be able to deal with queries and if you have a problem with medication you can also discuss this with your pharmacist

Treatments we offer include:

• Medication review
• TENS
• 1 Acupuncture course
• Injections as part of a multidisciplinary approach to pain management
• Stimulation techniques
• Pain Management Programme (PMP) courses are an internationally used approach to the rehabilitation of people with chronic pain conditions. They include specialist guidance about mobility and exercise, following a detailed assessment.
• Back Pack is group programme specifically for people with recurring episodes of back pain.
• Self-Management Programme (SMP). These courses are led by one of the specialist healthcare professional and a Lay Tutor, who is someone who has benefited from one of our courses as a patient and has gone on to train in the delivery of the courses. These SMP courses do not include guidance around exercise, and participants will usually have some form of exercise which they are already involved in, or which they could re-start at a low level themselves during the course.
• Sleep course for people with pain-related insomnia
• Individuals one-to-one sessions for a particular reasons. Individual work is usually a stepping-stone towards attending a program.

The Macmillan Upper Gastrointestinal Specialist Nurse Led Service provides a service to patients, their family and friends, that have been diagnosed with, undergoing investigations or are currently having treatment for an upper gastro-intestinal cancer.

The Nurses offer support and advise to patients that have been diagnosed with any of the below cancers throughout their entire pathway:

• Oesophageal
• Gastric (stomach)
• Duodenal (small bowel)
• Liver
• Pancreas
• Gallbladder
• Biliary

They can:

• provide advice face to face and over the telephone
• support you, your family and carers at time of diagnosis and afterwards
• discuss treatment options and support you in coming to important decisions
• offer specialist advice to other health care professionals
• answer any questions you may have about your treatment and care
• liaise with the community teams in order to support you at home
• assist you if any complications arise whilst you are under our care

Paediatric Venepuncture Clinics 

Paediatric Outpatients accepts referrals from community doctors and/or GP's. 

Prolonged Jaundice Service

Health Visitor, Midwife or GP may refer to this clinic for an assessment to see if a blood test is required.  

For all referrals and/or advice, please telephone us where you can leave a message. Alternatively, email both debra.sainsbury@nbt.nhs.uk and tracey.elvins@nbt.nhs.uk. 

My child has a disability is the unit accessible?

Our unit at Southmead Hospital has a ramp and metal bars running up to it and a wheelchair accessible door. The bathroom has easy access.

How can I cancel/re-arrange my appointment?

Don't worry, please phone us on 0117 414 5807 and we will help you rearrange it.

How do I contact my child's Doctor/Consultant?

For the Neonatal Consultants at Southmead Hospital:

• Dr Faith Emery
• Dr David Evans
• Dr Paul Mannix
• Dr Daniela Vieten-Kay
• Dr Madhavi Parvathareddy
• Dr Katie Farmer
• Dr Claire Rose
• Dr Maria Tsakmakis
• Dr Richard Wach
• Dr Libuse Pazderova
• Dr Charles Roehr
• Dr Amiel Billetop

Phone Julie Deady, Secretary, based in NICU on 0117 414 6815.

Doctors/Consultants based at the Bristol Children's Hospital, you will need to ring and ask to speak to your doctors secretary on 0117 342 8460.

Vaccination clinics are run by the Children's Nurses, phone 0117 414 5807.

Prolonged jaundice and your baby

Information for parents and carers

What is jaundice? 

Jaundice is when the skin and whites of the eye turn yellow. Jaundice is not always caused by liver disease. 

Newborn babies have a higher than normal number of red blood cells. The body continuously makes red blood cells and breaks down old ones. As these blood cells break down, the body produces a waste product called bilirubin. When bilirubin levels in the body are raised it causes jaundice. 

The liver removes bilirubin from the blood but the liver of a newborn baby can take a few days to work properly. Jaundice is more common in newborn babies, and even more common in premature babies. Jaundice that lasts more than 14 days in a full-term infant, and more than 21 days in a pre-term infant, is called ‘prolonged.’ 

Prolonged jaundice is more common in breast-fed babies than those having formula feeds. Up to 30% of breast-fed babies have jaundice at 3-4 weeks old. In most cases this is because of ‘physiological’ or ‘breast milk’ jaundice. Breast milk can jaundice can only be diagnosed by ruling other causes out. 

Breastfeeding jaundice does not harm your baby, we advise you to continue breastfeeding. 

Causes of prolonged jaundice

• A condition where the red blood cells break down more quickly than normal. This is usually discovered during pregnancy or soon after birth.
• A liver problem called biliary atresia - this is rare.
• Breastfeeding jaundice - this will go away with time, and you should continue to breastfeed.

What happens at the appointment? 

The nurse will examine your baby and ask about you baby’s feeding behaviour and general wellbeing. Your baby will be weighed and have a blood test. The blood test is taken from a vein in the back of the hand or foot. Many babies cry during the test but they soon settle afterwards. The tests are done to see if there is liver disease. You will be asked about the colour of your baby’s stools (poo) and urine.

What tests will my baby receive? 

After checking your child’s growth and an examination by a paediatric nurse, the following tests will be done:

• Bilirubin level – total, conjugated, unconjugated.
• Full blood count and blood film.

When will we get the results?

We aim to receive the results within 24 hours. We will phone you with the results and also tell your child’s GP. Occasionally we may ask you to return for further tests. This does not always mean that there is a serious problem. If you are recalled for further tests, please feel free to ask the nurse why the test is being repeated. 

The most common cause of prolonged jaundice is breast milk jaundice which has no impact on your child’s wellbeing. The benefits of breast-feeding are very important, so please continue to breast feed your baby.

For further information speak to your community midwife, health visitor, GP or ask the nurse you will see in the paediatric outpatient department.

Further information about jaundice

Newborn jaundice - NHS

Yellow Alert - Childrens Liver Disease Foundation

© North Bristol NHS Trust. This edition published December 2024. Review due December 2027. NBT003752

With experienced children's nurses and doctors, we provide a range of clinics for children at Westgate House Children's Centre Southmead Hospital. Clinics are run by both North Bristol NHS Trust and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust.

Paediatric Diabetes 

Run by Dr Burren and Dr Bowen with Paediatric diabetes specialist nurses, dietician and psychologist as members of the multidisciplinary Paediatric diabetes team. Bristol Royal Hospital for Children - Paediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

Paediatric Respiratory 

Run by Deb Marriage Nurse Consultant
For more information on the Paediatric Respiratory clinic visit Bristol Royal Hospital for Children - Paediatric Respiratory Medicine

Paediatric Allergy

Run by Dr Mark Gomples, Dr Nick Sargant, Dr Anna Thursby-Pelham and specialist Nurses Myriam Kanchanatheera and Kathryn Hogarth.
For more information on the Paediatric Allergy clinic visit Bristol Royal Hospital for Children - Paediatric Immunology & Infectious Diseases

Paediatric Surgery

Run by Miss McNally, Miss Bradshaw Miss Skeritt and Mr Garrett-Cox.
For more information on the Paediatric Surgery clinic visit Bristol Royal Hospital for Children - Paediatric Surgery

Paediatric Urology 

Run by Mr Woodward and Mr Awad.
For more information on the Paediatric Urology clinic visit Bristol Royal Hospital for Children - Paediatric Urology 

Paediatric Renal Medicine 

Run by Dr Carol Inward and Dr Jan Dudley.
For more information on the Paediatric Renal Medicine clinic visit Bristol Royal Hospital for Children - Paediatric Nephrology

General Paediatrics 

Run by Dr Sharon Lim Kong and Dr Ann Eggers.
For more information on the General Paediatrics clinic visit Bristol Royal Hospital for Children - Paediatric medicine

Baby Vaccination Clinics 

We run BCG clinics every Wednesday mornings to protect babies from TB . We also run specialist vaccination clinics run by the NICU community team (Nikki Yeoman , Lisa Ramsey and Nazzi Farzinkia) for premature babies.

For more information on the TB Vaccine visit TB, BCG vaccine and your baby - GOV.UK

Neonatology Baby Clinics with the Neonatal Consultants 

For babies who've been in NICU, or need to be followed up by the neonatologist after birth.

Baby development clinics / neuro development (Neonatal Team)

For babies who needed NICU due to being unwell or very premature, this clinic is to check they are developing and passing their milestones.

Children's venepuncture clinics (blood tests) 

Run by the nurses. We accept referrals from community doctors or GP's. We also see babies who need blood tests after birth.

Blood test and your child | North Bristol NHS Trust

Newborn screening clinics/ blood spot (Nurses)

For more information on newborn screening and blood spot visit Blood spot testing and your child | North Bristol NHS Trust.

At your child's Outpatient appointment, at Westgate House Children's Centre you will be greeted by our receptionist who is very experienced with children. She will book you in on the computer and show you to the waiting areas including our brightly decorated playroom. 

Within the playroom, there are lots of toys to play with, some donated or bought for us by Southmead Hospital Charity. All toys are regularly washed.  We have a television to keep various ages of children entertained.

The toilet facilities are child friendly with a baby changing unit.

We encourage breastfeeding and have a dedicated feeding room for all needs

All the consulting rooms are bright and friendly with toys to play with.

We have a fridge with bottled water (donations welcome) and tap water available.

If your child is under five years old please make sure you bring their red book with you to your appointment(s) as it contains important information about your child.

If your child is unwell or you/your child have been in contact with or had any symptoms of diarrhoea or vomiting in the 72 hours prior to your appointment please do not attend your appointment/clinic. Instead, please telephone us and cancel the appointment, we will arrange another appointment as soon as possible.

If your child needs to be weighed and measured or needs any investigations, this will be done in the nurses' room. We sometimes need to do blood pressure checks, urine tests or occasionally a blood test.

All the doctors' rooms are named after animals. You may be seen in Lion room, Tiger room, Hippo room, Flamingo room or Zebra room. The doctor will come to the playroom to call you into the consulting room.

If you need to visit the pharmacy it is in the Brunel building.

The X-ray department is also in the Brunel building or there is one at Cossham Hospital if you live near there.

After your appointment is finished we will organise your next appointment and check out at reception. Lots of children are sad at having to go home as they've had such a lovely time playing!

Please feel free to ask the nurses anything and let them know all about your child's needs and concerns. We are here for you and want you to feel happy and cared for.

You have been invited back to the breast assessment clinic because we need more detail about an area we have seen on your mammogram (breast x-rays). Therefore, you need a more detailed examination before we can decide on a result.

This additional appointment is part of routine screening and for most women invited back nothing of concern will be found.

Our assessment clinics are held at Bristol Breast Care Centre, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB.

Can I speak to someone for more information before I come?

How many women are invited back?

What will happen at the clinic?

When will I get the results?

How long will I be at the clinic?