The Salford HOPT/Home IV Team is a based at St James House, Salford. The services hours are 8am - 10pm every day.
You can contact us on 0161 206 6666.
You can leave a message when the office is closed if it is not an urgent matter or an emergency.
If your health worsens outside these hours, please contact the Out of Hours District Nursing Team on 0161 206 8921, 111 or 999 in an emergency.
Who are we?
We are a community team supporting and arranging safe discharge from hospital for people requiring intravenous antibiotics at home or in the community. We also support people at home, who require intravenous antibiotics (antibiotics through your vein), preventing hospital admission.
Our aim is to monitor and treat your illness, promote your independence and/ or refer to other services for ongoing support.
We will be supported by your hospital/community doctor and by the microbiologist to decide what antibiotics your will be having.
The Team includes
Microbiologist - they will decide on your antibiotic treatment and monitor if treatment is working, they will discuss with your hospital doctor if required, ensuring you have a review planned with your hospital doctor.
Nurses - plan your discharge from hospital and help with medication, skin and wound care. The nurse will also support you and monitor your symptoms and other nursing needs, giving healthcare advice.
Pharmacist - Advice on medication and how this may help your health condition.
Occupational Therapist - Help you find different ways for doing everyday living tasks sometimes using equipment or alternative methods.
Physiotherapist - Provide exercise programmes targeting your specific needs with the aim to improve your quality of life.
Assistant Practitioners - Help you complete exercise programmes and practice daily activities sometimes using equipment.
Support Workers - Help or support with all aspects of your daily living such as personal care, diet, fluids and medication.
We also have students and other people completing training who may be involved in your assessment and treatment.
How to Access the Service
Referrals are only received from a Health Care Professional for example your GP, Advanced Practitioner and Consultants, they will discuss this with you and your family/carer should you wish, before they refer to the Home IV team.
What to expect
If you are on a ward in Salford Hospital a nurse will visit and ask questions to make sure you are suitable for the antibiotics at home.
If you are at home, a nurse will telephone you to ask you some questions. This is to arrange for the most appropriate person in the team to see you or give you alternative advice should a visit not be necessary.
Not all people and health conditions are suitable for antibiotics at home. This can be for different reasons and would be discussed with you, if not accepted by the team.
When can I go home?
You will have to be assessed by the Home IV Nurse before you can go home and will also require a special line to be put into your arm. Your discharge date also depends on your medical condition being stable and needs to be agreed with the hospital team involved in your care e.g., doctors, physiotherapists, dieticians. The Home IV Nurses will discuss this with you.
How does the medication get into my vein?
There are various types of lines that can be placed in your veins that are suitable for use at home, but the two main types are called ‘midlines’ and ‘PICC’s’. The type of line you have will depend on the treatment you need and the estimated length of time it is required for.
The nurse who puts in the line in your arm will discuss the procedure and your upcoming treatment with you. You will be given the opportunity to see a line before it is placed in your arm, if you wish, and left with an information leaflet for you to read.
Having a line in means you do not have to have lots of needles put into your vein to give the medication, meaning you can be treated at home, the line must always be kept clean and dry.
Assessment when at home
Either one or two people will attend your home on the day you are discharged from hospital or the same day if you are already at home to complete an assessment. They will discuss your treatment and plan with you and/or your family/friends and then plan how we will support you at home and how long you may need support.
This may include visits from different members of the team who will continue to monitor and support you at home.
We plan and ensure you have all your antibiotics and equipment that is required while you are at home. This may also include a fridge to keep your antibiotics in.
On occasions we can teach you or your family to administer your own antibiotics, this can be done in hospital or at home. You will be asked questions by the nurse to see if you are suitable.
We can also provide electronic equipment that will monitor your health condition at home without the team attending, the team member will assess, and discuss this with you. If the equipment is right for you, we will demonstrate and train you or your family/ carers to monitor some things like your blood pressure and temperature.
When at home, a set bloods will be taken weekly by one of the team and they will also change the dressing on your line.
Safety and Security
All members of our Team wear uniforms and will carry photographic identification badges. Please check this before allowing someone to enter your home.
Discharge
We will plan and discuss with you your discharge from the team with you at the appropriate time. This can be either by telephone or when visiting you at home.
We will ensure your line is removed and arrange for any equipment to be collected.
When we discharge you, we may arrange different teams to attend and support you at home for a longer period for example district nurses.
We will also send your doctor a letter telling them about your episode of care with the team.
Sharing information
To improve the quality of your care and with your consent, information is shared securely between health and care organisations involved in your care. Please let a member of staff know if you do not wish your information to be shared in this way.
Urgent Response, 3rd Floor, St James House, Pendleton Way, Salford, M6 5FW.
Telephone: 0161 206 6666
Date of Review: December 2023
Date of Next Review: December 2025
Ref No: PI_IC_1870 (Salford)