Children and Families with a Leeds GP to Benefit from At Home Community Intravenous Antibiotics Therapy
The Children’s Nursing Team at Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust has introduced the offer to give intravenous (IV) antibiotics to children and young people in the comfort of their own homes. The launch of the Children’s Community Intravenous Service has enabled children and young people under the care of Leeds Children’s Hospital, part of Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust who are well enough to be discharged to continue their care at home. The children and young people are referred to the service if they are prescribed IV Ceftriaxone which can be used to treat suspected meningitis. With children now on break for school holidays, this allows for convenience and ease for many parents and children across the region.
IV antibiotics are usually given to children in hospital, but they can also be given safely at home. Patients receive at least one dose of their antibiotic in hospital and are monitored to make sure that they do not develop a severe reaction. Those well enough to recover at home, but who still require intravenous (IV) ceftriaxone receive a supply of the antibiotics before they leave the hospital. Community nurses from the Children’s Nursing Team then visit patients at their homes to administer the child’s antibiotics. Even though the child will be able to go home for IV treatment, they remain under their consultant’s clinical care.
The recently launched service allows for further space and an increase in hospital beds as young people will no longer need to remain in hospital settings for their treatment.
65 young people so far have received this new way of receiving treatment.
Cooper Wedgwood, 12 has already received his treatment from the Nursing Team at his home in Wakefield. After being diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, Cooper was given a course of antibiotics. He was in the hospital for a short stay and then was able to be discharged and visited by a nurse daily, for three days at home.
Cooper’s father Peter said, “As a parent, I think the service is invaluable. It’s great for moving patients through quicker. Cooper struggled to sleep because of the meningitis, and because it was very noisy in the ward as well because it was busy, so coming home was good for his recovery.”
Sam Prince, Executive Director of Operations said, “This makes such an amazing difference for children as it allows them to be home with their family rather than staying in hospital. This is just one example of the improvements we are making to move services out of hospitals to places closer to where people live.”
For more information visit Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust - Children’s Community Intravenous Antibiotics Therapy
Photo: Cooper Wedgwood, 12 received his treatment at his home by a nurse from the Children’s Nursing Team at Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust.
