• Summary of Services Provided
• Hours of Service
• Contact Information

The Pre-Operative Assessment Clinic (PAC) provides a holistic based assessment for all patients coming in for major orthopaedic surgery.  Assessments are carried out two to eight weeks prior to surgery thus allowing sufficient time for investigations and treatment to be carried out in order to prevent unnecessary delays and cancellations. High standards of care continue to be the main goal of the Pre-Operative Assessment Clinic. 

The patients who attend PAC are reviewed by the Consultant Anaesthetist, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Nurse, Phlebotomist and in some cases the patient may need to be seen by the Social Worker who will come and review the patient in PAC.

Summary of Services Provided

• All patients over the age of 55 years of age coming in for major joint replacement surgery or spinal surgery are assessed.
• Any patient that is a high risk either medically or anaesthetically are referred to PAC.
• Any patient who has been telephone triaged for minor surgery that have a significant medical history may need to be referred to PAC.  Paediatric patients coming in for major orthopaedic surgery are also assessed in PAC.
• If patients are having major hip replacement the Clinical Nurse Specialist from the Bone Bank will review them in PAC.

During 2009 telephone triage of all patients referred for orthopaedic surgery commenced.  Telephone Triage aims to:

• Provide a pre-operative assessment to high volume of patients with the facility to refer back to secondary care for face to face assessment.
• Streamline the PAC clinic.
• Ensure that all patients coming in for surgery are assessed either by telephone and / or by the PAC clinic.
• Reduce the need to take time off work to come to hospital for assessment.
• Facilitate the patient by contacting him/her at specific times.
• Free up capacity within PAC to enable the clinic to assess more complex medical and social needs, facilitating better discharge planning and shorter lengths of stay.
• Answer patient queries over the phone informing the patients about their surgery and in some cases may eliminate their need to attend PAC.
• Assess via telephone 8-12 patients per day.

Hours of Service

Monday – Friday: 9.00am – 4.00pm

Contact Information

Ms Sandra O’Donovan
Clinical Nurse Manager II
Phone: +353 (1) 8140 407
Fax: +353 (1) 8140 378
Email: sandra [dot] odonovan [at] cappagh [dot] ie