Specialist Hospitals

Although all general hospitals are designed to meet the needs of patients no matter what their medical condition is, sometimes a patient will be referred to another hospital, which specialises in a particular area of treatment.

The following is a list of some of the more commonly known types of specialist hospital although this list is by no means exhaustive and, these days, whether it’s an NHS or private facility, you can be pretty sure that no matter what your condition, there will be a specialised facility that caters for it.

Paediatric Hospitals

Paediatric hospitals specialise in the care and rehabilitation of children. The people who work in them are all professionally trained in the specific care of children from birth right through to teenage years. They are particularly successful in dealing with illnesses and afflictions which often prove fatal or which might be long-term and have a great impact upon a young person’s quality of life, allowing for a continuity of care.

And although paediatrics is a specialised area in itself, one of the biggest plusses of a paediatric hospital is the over-riding attention that the staff gives to the psycho-social support of children and their families.

Psychiatric Hospitals

Thankfully, over the last 20 years or so, the UK has seen the phasing out of the old generation of psychiatric hospitals which would be typified by vast numbers of people with all manner of psychiatric conditions being grouped together in old Edwardian or Victorian style buildings. This aspect of the way in which people with psychiatric conditions were treated led to them feeling quite stigmatised.

These days, however, psychiatric hospitals cover a broad umbrella of conditions from schizophrenia to both alcohol and drug addiction as well as the more common conditions such as anxiety and depression and many such units are now incorporated into wings of general hospitals and, where possible, much of the emphasis is placed upon care in the community although there are still units which are able to cater for conditions requiring hospitalisation.

Cancer & Heart Hospitals

There are several world renowned cancer and heart hospitals in the UK which specialise in the treatment of a variety of cancers and heart conditions as well as them being centres of research excellence. Papworth Hospital (heart) and Christie’s Hospital (cancer) are just two of the more well known ones in the UK. Not only do these type of hospitals represent the highest quality of diagnosis, treatment and care, they are also at the forefront of education in these areas and are often used when pioneering new techniques and technologies.

This is only skimming the surface however. There are specialist hospitals for ear, nose and throat procedures, eye hospitals, orthopaedic hospitals, trauma centres, geriatrics, renal units, hospitals that specialise in sporting injuries and far more besides. In fact, no matter what your condition, there is likely to be a specialist hospital either within the NHS or in the private sector which will cater specifically to the type of problem you’re experiencing. Your GP or local NHS Trust will be able to advise you about specialist hospitals that may be more appropriate to your needs.