The district nurses work seven days a week, 365 days a year and are accessible 24 hours a day providing care to vulnerable and housebound people within their own home or home environment. Each GP practice has an identified District Nursing team.
The nurses, as part of wider service improvements, now document patient records electronically. This change in practice will assist to contribute towards safer, more effective high quality integrated care through facilitating timely communication between professionals providing your care.
The district nurses:
- Manage and deliver care to patients with complex health needs
- Give support and advice to patients and their carers in relation to their ongoing treatment
- Wound management including leg ulcers
- Palliative care for the terminally ill and care of the dying
- Bereavement support
- Health promotion for individuals, carers and communities
- Referral to other services if required via virtual ward, eg social services, occupational therapy.
There is a continuation of services through the night.
Referral to the service can be made through your GP. Patients need to have clear needs for skilled nursing intervention.
Patients need to have clear needs for skilled nursing intervention and referrals will come via your GP.