Home Visits

These are for patients who are medically unfit to travel to the surgery. Whenever possible please request home visits before 11.00am so that the doctor can plan his/her calls. The receptionist will ask for some details on the nature of the problem in order for the doctors to prioritise calls.

• Name of patient
• Address
• Contact number
• Reason for visit
• Name of person requesting visit
• Remember a doctor can see approximately six patients at the surgery in the time it takes for one home visit.

Please note the following points before requesting a home visit.

1. First, consider whether a home visit is really necessary. 
   There may be greater advantage in attending the surgery even though it may take a little more time and organisation. You may be seen earlier; the facilities will be better; lighting will be more adequate; and if a referral is necessary it can often be arranged more quickly.
2. Tell the doctor's receptionist as much as you can about the illness; how long it has lasted and all the symptoms.
   Receptionists are skilled at taking messages and relaying them to the doctors and nurses. The more information you are able to provide, the more able they will be to assess the urgency of the problem. Urgent cases will be visited first. Certain symptoms have more significance than others and doctors receptionists are trained to identify these.It is safe to bring children with temperatures or a rash to the surgery but please inform the receptionist on arrival so that they can be seen quickly.
3. Tell the receptionist what is worrying you most and what you think is wrong.
   The receptionist may be able to tell you things you can do before the doctor gets to you.
4. Listen to what the receptionist tells you.
   The receptionist has been trained to deal with most common situations. She may ask that you wait to speak to another member of the practice staff (for example nurse or doctor) in order to clarify your problem. For particularly common problems, treatment may be offered over the phone. Tell the practice if you feel this is inappropriate. 
5. If the receptionist, doctor or nurse suggests that you should come to the surgery, do not dismiss the suggestion out of hand.
   Having listened to the symptoms, the practice is in a good position to assess the severity of the illness and may consider that it would do no harm to make the journey. They are also aware of many factors that will affect the availability of home visits. Remember you may get a better service if you can come to the surgery where staff and facilities are more adequate than in the average home. 
6. Tell the receptionist about anything else that makes it important you have a home visit - for example if you are unable to transport yourself or the patient to the surgery.
   In the NHS, patients do not have the right to demand a home visit. It is up to the doctor to decide whether a home visit is needed and to respond appropriately. Social reasons are not taken as cause to visit.
7. In emergency situations, you may sometimes be asked to phone 999 directly and to ask for an ambulance without waiting for the doctor to call.
   In some areas the ambulance service, Accident & Emergency units and GP practices have arranged to work in this way so as to improve patient care for emergency cases.
8. Arrange for someone other than the patient to be at the house when the doctor or nurse calls.
   Usually the practice will be able to suggest a range of times when the doctor is likely to call. Bear in mind however that other more urgent cases may arise unpredictably and that the doctor may be diverted. It is important that a responsible adult is present if children are to be examined.