If you think an immediate home visit is required, please tell the Receptionist. In cases of major injury or critical condition, it may be more appropriate to go directly to your local Hospital Accident & Emergency Department. If an Ambulance is required, dial 999.
If you think you may need a home visit
If you are poorly and think you need an urgent visit, please call us between 8am to 11am and 2pm to 5:15pm to be added to our urgent care team list. Our specialist urgent care team will assess your need for a home visit and add you to our home visiting team list if warranted.
- If you are mobile (own legs, using walking aids, wheelchair or scooter), we kindly ask that you see us in the surgery
- The urgent care team will always consider your request and ensure you are seen by the most appropriate health care professional in the most appropriate location
- An Emergency Hospital Admission may be organised for the patient via the ambulance service without first seeing the patient, in cases where their medical condition makes that course of action appropriate
Home Visiting Team
Our Coastal Primary Care Network (PCN) home visiting team includes:
- Advanced Nurse Practitioner & Frailty Lead - Heather Tregale
- Nurse Practitioner- Wendy Jones
- Nurse Practitioner- Trish Bee
- Nurse Practitioner- Clare Bennett
- Paramedic Practitioner- Tom Sawkins
- Nurse Practitioner- Sue Davy
The team also has a care coordinator to help with the team’s admin duties.
The team look after our housebound patient and our patients who live in nursing/residential homes to help them manage their chronic illnesses. As well as having daily urgent acute visits.
You may think that a home visit by the Home Visiting Team is best for patient care. However, while home visits are convenient for the patient, they offer a poorer standard of care compared to surgery consultations.
This is because of:
- poor facilities – for example, soft beds, poor lighting or lack of hygiene
- inefficiency – the doctor could see four to six other equally needy patients in the time taken for one home visit
- patient records, which are required to provide appropriate and safe care, are not immediately available
- patient chaperones, who are required to be present for some examinations, are not always available.
Where home visits are not appropriate
Please note this list only includes some examples and is not exhaustive.
- Children, young people or anyone who is mobile
- Lack of money or transport. This is not a medical responsibility. It is up to the patient to organise transport
- Lack of childcare or drinking alcohol and being not able to drive. This is not a medical responsibility
- Can’t get out due to the bad weather. Remember that medical staff are also affected by snow, ice or bad weather
- Timed visits between hairdressing and shopping appointments. Patients who are mobile are taking doctors and nurses away from patients with greater need
- Feeling well but need a check-over to make sure everything is all right. Our priority is seeing those patients who are unwell.
- Other help may be more appropriate – for example, if you think you are having a heart attack or a stroke, please ring 999.
Where home visits are appropriate and worthwhile
- Terminally ill patients: we have no problems seeing those who are in the most clinical need
- Truly bedbound patients: we have no problems seeing those who are confined to bed
- So poorly, the patient would be harmed if moved: we have no problems seeing those who are in most clinical need.
If we visit you at home and feel that your request was inappropriate, we may inform you so that you use our services more appropriately in the future. Please do not be offended, as we have a duty to use our resources effectively for the safety and benefit of all patients.
Remember: you do not have an automatic right to a home visit
Under their terms of work, GPs are required to consider home visits for medical reasons only. If you think you require a home visit, please call the practice. All home visit requests will be medically assessed to check if a visit is appropriate.
Always provide a current landline/mobile number so that the home visiting team can contact you.