On Wednesday 28 May the Buttercup Outpatient Unit at Nightingale Hospital Exeter marked its first birthday with a special celebration for volunteers and staff.

The Buttercup Unit is the Devon Diagnostic Centre’s outpatient department which supports a new one stop clinic approach.

The one stop clinics are more convenient for patients as they're away from a busy acute hospital, there are less visits required and there is a reduced likelihood of things being cancelled on the day due to emergency pressures. This all means patients are able to get their symptoms checked quicker and receive a potentially life-saving diagnosis and treatment plan sooner.

Since opening in May 2024, the Buttercup Unit has welcomed over 11,000 patients across a range of specialties and has:

• Completed over 4,500 additional diagnostic tests
• Reduced Trans-nasal Endoscopy (TNE) referral to diagnosis times from approximately three weeks to one week
• Given patients coming through the Breathlessness pathway a diagnosis on average eight months faster.

Patients are also seeing the benefits of the one stop clinics at Buttercup, with positive feedback including:

“Each healthcare expert spent sufficient time to hear me and leave me feeling confident about what was happening, my plan of action and expected outcome”.

“All very smooth with plenty of information and help”.

“Great to get it all done in a day.”

Jennie Small, Clinical Nurse Manager says the Buttercup Unit has come on leaps and bounds since it opened in May last year.

“I’ve felt incredibly privileged to work in the Buttercup Unit over the past 12 months. It’s been so rewarding working alongside the Transformation team and the team at Nightingale to develop innovative pathways that deliver faster, more effective care and improve patient outcomes and experience. I’m genuinely excited about what the future holds for Buttercup, our patients and this incredible team”, says Jennie.

The Buttercup Unit was the final step in converting the Nightingale from a vacant COVID-19 hospital into an elective care hub that is reducing waiting lists across Devon through innovation and outstanding patient care.

Hear from our staff and volunteers about the difference Buttercup is making for patients in the video below.