By Brand new Hospital at Home scheme launches for children in North East Lincolnshire
Hospital at Home – a brand new pilot scheme in North East Lincolnshire – launches today (Monday 22 November).
Set to run until the end of March, the nurse-led Hospital at Home service will take referrals from the Emergency Department, the Paediatric Assessment Unit (PAU) and the Rainforest Ward at Grimsby hospital, and will see nurses visiting children at home who meet a certain criteria.
If a child meets the criteria, they will be discharged from hospital and the team will make contact within two hours by telephone, before a home visit is arranged.
During the home visit, the Hospital at Home nurse will carry out an assessment, which includes recording a pulse rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation level, temperature and blood pressure.
As well as assisting the family to care for their child, the team will help educate parents on managing future illness and how to access the appropriate health care.
The service will take referrals for minor illnesses including bronchiolitis, viral induced wheeze/asthma, gastroenteritis/diarrhoea and vomiting, fever of known origin and croup.
Julie Hamill, an advanced paediatric nurse practitioner, said: “One of the reasons for setting up this service is in response to the current respiratory surge we are experiencing.
“We are seeing lots of referrals so the aim of the pilot is to provide a service that can assess and monitor a child during an acute phase of illness in their own home, while providing support and education to the family.
“This is the first time we have done something like this in the Trust. It takes the stress off the child and also helps educate the parents about managing their child’s illness now and in the future.
“It is hoped it will also reduce our inpatient admission rate. If it’s successful, it will be rolled out in other areas too.”
The service will be available from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 6pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays, excluding Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
