Outpatient
OWT-pay-shuhnt /ˈaʊtˌpeɪʃənt/
Neutral Neutral
What it really means
A hospital patient who comes in for an appointment, test or small procedure and goes home the same day. "Your outpatient appointment" is a hospital visit — it does not mean staying overnight.
Chinese explanation
门诊病人：到医院看诊、做检查或小处置后当天回家的病人。"Outpatient appointment"就是去医院看门诊，不需要住院过夜。
Example conversation
A: The letter says I have an outpatient appointment in cardiology.
B: That's just a clinic visit — you'll be home the same day.
A：信上说我有一个心内科的门诊预约。
B：那只是去门诊看一下——当天就能回家。
What you could say back
No spoken reply needed for this one.
Related phrases
Official sources
Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.
Go deeper
All Healthcare & NHS
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake