Children's H@H Service Information

Hospital@Home: Children’s Community Nursing

Who are we?

We are a team of Children’s Nurses in the community who work with paediatric doctors at the hospital to monitor and care for your child at home when:

• Your child is recovering after a hospital stay but still requires some monitoring by our nurses and doctors
• Your child has attended the Emergency Departments (A&E) and the doctors there have asked us to carry out an additional assessment after you return home
• Your child has been seen by your GP or other healthcare professions and they have asked us to assess and monitor your child’s condition at home
• We will support your child via telephone assessments and home visits with a nurse and, if required, video assessments with the doctors

What can you expect?

The Children’s Community Nurses (CCNs) will make contact to assess your child’s condition and will offer either a home visit or a telephone follow-up call.

The CCN will ask you some questions to assess your child’s condition and progress.

During a home visit they will carry out observations – for example, checks on temperature, heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and possibly other tests that have been requested, like urine tests and blood, glucose monitoring.

The CCN will offer support and advice on your child’s progress and will agree another phone call appointment or visit.

If your child’s condition changes, they may require a video assessment with a hospital doctor which will happen when the nurse attends a home visit.

If your child’s condition has improved and no longer requires monitoring, your child will be discharged from the Hospital@Home service.

Worried about your child?

Use traffic light advice

GREEN: If your child has none of the symptoms in the amber or red categories, continue to look after them at home

Continue to follow your CCN Hospital@Home advice

AMBER: If you are worried about your child at any time but they do not have any of the red flags below

SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE: Please call CCN H@H on 01865 902700 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week Or GP Out of Hours via NHS111

RED: If your child has blue lips

OR if your child is unresponsive

OR if your child is struggling to breathe

OR if your child has unusually long pauses in breath

OR if your child has an irregular breathing pattern

OR any other emergency situation

YOU NEED EMERGENCY HELP CALL 999: You need to be seen at an emergency department (A&E)