1.   Twenty four hours before admission she had had a transitional mole removed from her back under local anaesthesia in the outpatient department.

2.   Health centres with a low throughput may have higher average costs than a busy hospital outpatient department.

3.   The patients are followed up partly at the outpatient department, partly at local hospitals.

4.   WIRRAL Hospital Trust plans alterations and an extension at Clatterbridge Hospital to create a new outpatients department.

5.   It will mean patients get quicker treatment and reduce pressures on hospital outpatient departments.

6.   Therefore all hospital outpatient departments contain staff who are skilled in treating injuries.

7.   Outpatient departments prioritise acute injuries so that waiting times for initial treatment are short.