A new service aimed at treating children with minor illnesses at home is being piloted in Grimsby.
Hospital at Home (H@H) launched on 22 November 2021 and will run until the end of March 2022. The nurse-led service takes referrals from Emergency Department, the Paediatric Assessment Unit (PAU) and Rainforest Ward at Grimsby hospital. 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 visit is arranged.
When the H@H nurse visits the child at home, they will carry out a nursing 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.
If this pilot phase is a success, the service is expected to go on to receive referrals from primary care.
The service will take referrals for the following minor illnesses:
- Bronchiolitis
- Viral induced wheeze/asthma
- Gastroenteritis/diarrhoea and vomiting
- Fever of known origin
- Croup.
Children must meet certain criteria in order to be referred into the service. It will be available from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday and 8am to 6pm, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays (excluding Christmas and New Year’s Day during this pilot phase).
For more information about the service, please email nlg-tr.hospitalathome@nhs.net.
