Hospital @ Home

What do we do

We are a team of Children’s Nurses in the community who work alongside the Paediatric Doctors at the Hospital and GPs 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 Department and the Doctors have asked us to carry out an additional assessment after you return home
  • Your Child has been seen by the GP or other healthcare professional and they have asked us to monitor your child’s condition at home

We will support your child via telephone assessments and Nurse led home visits, and if required, video assessments with the Doctors.

How we work

  • The Children’s Community Nurses (CCN’s) will make contact by telephone to assess your child’s condition and will offer either a home visit or a telephone follow up call
  • The Nurses will ask you some questions to assess your Child’s condition and progress
  • If your child requires a home visit, then the Nurses will carry out some Clinical Observations. For Example, Temperature, Hear Rate, Breathing, Blood Pressure and possibly carry out additional tests that have been requested by the Medical Team. This may include Urine Tests, Blood Glucose Monitoring
  • The Nurses will offer support and advice on your Child’s progress and will agree another visit or telephone assessment if required.
  • If your Child’s condition has improved and no longer requires monitoring, then your Child will be discharged from the Hospital at Home Service.

Non-urgent advice: Concerns

My Child is already under the Hospital at Home service, and I am worried or concerned, what should I do?

If your child is safe and you have no urgent concerns, then please contact the ‘Single Point of Access’ (SPA) no: 01865 902 700.

If no body answers, please leave a voicemail and somebody will return your call as soon as possible.

If you are concerned about your child, then please seek medical advice from either 111/999 or A@E as appropriate.

Further guidance

Please see the escalation guidance below for help making the right decision:

If your child has none of the symptoms in the red or amber boxes below, you can look after them at home.

Continue to care for your child at home and follow advice from the CCN Hospital @ Home team.

If your are worried about your child at any time, but they do not have any of the red flags below, you need to seek medical advice.

Please contact CCN H@H on 01865 902 700 between 8.00am and 8.00pm (7 days a week).

Or contact GP Out of Hours on 111.

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 breathing
  • 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 the A&E department.

Nearest hospitals, open 24 hours, seven days a week:

  • John Radcliffe, Oxford
  • Horton, Banbury
  • Royal Berkshire, Reading
  • Great Western, Swindon
  • Stoke Mandeville, Aylesbury

Page last reviewed: 11 November, 2022