Outpatient Assessment Clinic – St Mary’s

About us

Welcome to the Outpatients Assessment Centre (OAC) – a new way of delivering outpatient care, designed with patients in mind.

As part of University Hospitals Dorset’s 'Think Big' initiative, the OAC helps reduce waiting times by bringing specialist and diagnostic services closer to the community. Working in partnership with healthcare teams across Dorset, we’re offering a more streamlined, focused way to run outpatient appointments.

Our clinics operate from 8.30am and currently cover:

• Dermatology

• Orthopaedics

• Ophthalmology

• Bowel screening

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening

• Lipid screening

• Radiology – Ultrasound and DEXA scans

• Phlebotomy – Blood tests

All services are by appointment only – we are not a walk-in clinic.

If you need to get in touch or have any questions about your appointment, please call us on: 0300 019 1101

We’re here to help and committed to making your outpatient experience as smooth, efficient and supportive as possible.

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Travelling to St Mary’s Hospital

St. Mary's Hospital in Poole is part of the University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, and is located on St. Mary's Road, a short walk from the main Poole Hospital site on Longfleet Road (B3068). 

To find it using Google Maps, you can search for "St Mary's Hospital, St Mary's Road, Poole BH15 2LG"

St Mary’s Hospital address:

St Mary’s Road

Poole
Dorset
BH15 2LG

Public transport

Travelling by bus

The hospitals are served by More Bus and First Bus. Timetables, travel planning and up to date travel news are available on their website or by telephone.

Travelling by train

Trains in this region are operated by South Western Railway.

For routes and timetables visit their website www.southwesternrailway.com or telephone 0845 6000 650.

The nearest train station is Poole.

On-Site and hospital car parks

St Mary’s hospital car park:

• Pay & display car park adjacent to Outpatients (St Mary’s Road/Shaftesbury Road)

• Purchase ticket and display clearly (pay stations accept cards and cash)

Poole Hospital multistorey car park:

• Entrance via Longfleet Road (~10 min walk)

• Accessible bays on levels C and G

• Pay stations accept cards and cash

Free and low-cost street parking

Please be respectful when parking in residential streets and ensure you do not block accesses to properties/drives

• Municipal Road (BH15 2RU):

 Cheap daytime rates (Monday-Saturday):

•   1 hour: £0.70

•   2 hours: £1.40

• Nearby residential streets:

- Shaftesbury Road area: free parking (up to 2 hours)

- Harbour Hill Road: free parking, 5–10 min walk

Recommendations

1. Arriving early? Try Municipal Road for low cost short-term parking.

2. Staying longer? Use Poole Hospital multistorey or Harbourside Park.

3. Free options? Explore Harbour Hill Road or nearby residential areas.

Early advice is the best advice

Seeking medical intervention early can help ensure you get prompt treatment for any ailments and avoid situations where emergency treatment is needed – helping ease pressure on local Emergency Departments. For more information on the right treatment for your symptoms, please visit https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/the-nhs-app/

Emergency Departments

Emergency Departments (A&E) assess and treat patients with serious injuries or illnesses. Generally, you should only visit A&E or call 999 in an emergency. You should dial 999 or come to A&E for a suspected stroke, loss of consciousness, breathing difficulties and persistent, severe chest pain. For non life-threatening injuries or issues please attend an Urgent Treatment Centre. Please call 111 before attending. There are Urgent Treatment Centres at both Poole and Royal Bournemouth hospitals.

In Dorset there are Emergency Departments in Bournemouth, Poole and Dorchester.

Find out more about our Emergency Departments here

Eye emergencies

If you have an eye emergency or injury, please contact the Eye Unit at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital to speak to an experienced ophthalmic nurse on the phone. The nurse can give you quick advice and then make a decision about the most appropriate form of care for you. This could be an appointment at the Eye Unit or with your GP. Call the Eye Unit on 0300 019 4181.

Urgent Treatment Centres

For non life-threatening injuries or issues please attend an Urgent Treatment Centre. Some examples of these are as follows; broken bones, sprains, burns, skin infections, wounds, ear pain, back pain, minor head injuries, persistent sore throats. Please call 111 before attending. There are Urgent Treatment Centres at both Poole and Royal Bournemouth hospitals. Opening times are 8am-12am, seven days a week, at both sites. Please note, patients will be accepted until 10pm. In some cases, if it is not possible for a patient to be seen before the UTC closes at midnight, a return appointment for the next day will be offered.

111

Not sure where to go? Call NHS 111 when you need medical advice or are not sure who to contact.

GP

Find your nearest GP at www.nhs.uk

Dentist

Find your nearest dentist at www.nhs.uk

Walk-in centres

Boscombe and Springbourne Walk-in Centre is open at weekends, Saturday and Sunday, from 8am until 8pm and can help you with health needs such as urgent care, larger cuts, sprains and minor injuries.

Remember, if you need urgent care during a weekday please contact your GP surgery.

Phone: 01202 720174

Location:
Boscombe & Springbourne Walk-In
12-14 Walpole Road
Boscombe
Bournemouth
Dorset
BH1 4HA

Pharmacy

Treat yourself better - the majority of colds and flu like illnesses will be over in a few days and your pharmacist can help you manage the symptoms and give you practical advice.

There are over 150 pharmacies in Dorset, within communities, in out of town shopping centres and the high street. Many are open evenings and weekends. Pharmacies offer a wide range of services; many also have private consultation rooms if you would like to speak in confidence

To find your nearest pharmacist visit www.nhs.uk

Make sure you have your medicines - if you receive regular medicines, please make sure you give your local pharmacist 24 hours to prepare your prescription.

For more information on using health services appropriately visit http://staywelldorset.nhs.uk/

Visiting someone

Please find the visiting times for our wards and units below or through our Trust Visitor Guidance here. These are subject to change, so please confirm times by calling ahead before you visit using the numbers listed.

If you cannot visit at during the designated visiting times please speak to the nurse in charge and they will try to accommodate your needs where possible.

Many of our wards operate a protected mealtime system. Nutrition is an important part of recovery, so visiting is not allowed during this time unless requested by our patients.

To help support infection control, please do not visit our hospitals if you have any symptoms of infectious illnesses, for example flu, Covid-19 and norovirus.

Chaplaincy service

What is the chaplaincy service?

People who are ill, and their families, can find themselves in a uniquely challenging time and in need of spiritual or pastoral support.

Chaplains will help you deal with the difficult experiences of life, death, illness and injury, in terms of personal spirituality, compassion and meaning. Chaplains and volunteers support people of all faiths and none and are happy to meet with staff, patients, families, or friends. Chaplains are the ritual leaders of the Trust and have a prominent role whenever we join together for events such as Memorial Services or Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

Our Lead Chaplain, James Taylor, introduces the work of the chaplaincy team in the article ‘Spotlight on Chaplaincy’ for The Brief.

How do I contact you?

We can be contacted directly on the telephone extensions below:

• Royal Bournemouth Hospital: 0300 019 4221
• Christchurch Hospital: 0300 019 5111
• Poole Hospital: 0300 019 2167

The Christchurch Hospital chaplaincy does not have a chaplain on-site every day - if there is no answer on the telephone and the request is urgent, please contact the Royal Bournemouth chaplaincy office on the telephone number given above.

There is an emergency on-call chaplain at all times who staff can request via switchboard.

What does the chaplaincy service offer?

We offer:

• to listen to your concerns - without judgement and with empathy
• spiritual resources - for example, copies of sacred scripture, prayer beads, holding crosses
• regular religious services held at our chapels
• ritual support for patients at the bedside - for example, Holy Communion, anointing, special prayers
• to help you make contact with leaders from your own faith community

What about chapels and prayer spaces?

These are open and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for prayer and quiet reflection. They are well signposted - follow signs for ‘chapel’ or ‘prayer space’Prayer mats are available at all sites. There are also facilities for ritual ablutions at the Chaplaincy Centre at Royal Bournemouth Hospital and near the Prayer Space at Poole Hospital.

Can I attend a religious service?

Patients, their families, and staff, are welcome to attend our religious services each week. Ask a member of ward staff for support in this.

Contact the chaplaincy service at your location for times of other religious prayers, meditations and special services.

What are your working hours?

Chaplains are available 8am-4pm on the Poole and Royal Bournemouth hospital sites Monday-Friday. At weekends and on Bank Holidays a chaplain works across the Trust sites 8am-4pm to meet urgent need. There is an emergency on-call chaplain at all times.