District nurses

Tiglath

Hi all - I have a question. Mum had 2 toes amputated yesterday for gangrene. I had hoped to have her at mine in London so I could work remotely from home at the same time. Unfortunately I can't access NHS services for her unless she provides evidence that she's moved here permanently which obviously she hasn't, and private carers have a policy of not dealing with open wounds. So I'll be based in her home town with her for the first week at least, when she's finally discharged. I understand the (private) hospital will send a referral letter to her GP to organise seeing the district nurse daily - do they visit patients in their own home? I don't drive and we've no idea how mobile Mum will actually be, so no idea if she will be able to manage getting into a taxi.

Horace

District nurses come and visit you in your home. It might be worth contacting the GP yourself too to arrange it (not saying that the private hospital won't but sometimes it is best to do this yourself so that you can be sure - communications can get lost).

Person_one

District come to your house if you are housebound and can't get to a clinic.

The doctor/nurse at the hospital who completes the referral should inform the DNs if a home visit will be needed.

Tiglath

Thanks guys

Pidge_jen

Your mum could stay with you if you register her as a temporary resident at your GP surgery and then ask them to do a referral to the local District Nurses, they are usually arranged in teams covering a set number of surgeries.
Make sure the hospital supply you with enough dressings for at least 3 days as district nurses don't carry a stock of them and will have to order them from the GP.
Hope your mum gets better soon

Tiglath

I spoke to my surgery this morning - they won't do a temporary registration. She would have to register permanently here and provide evidence that she's moved here permanently. Thanks for the tip on dressings.

Pidge_jen

Wow that's really unusual! Seems a bit silly but I guess that's their policy

ripplyuk

Tiglath wrote: »

I spoke to my surgery this morning - they won't do a temporary registration. She would have to register permanently here and provide evidence that she's moved here permanently. Thanks for the tip on dressings.

That does seem strange. Unless things have changed, I've always thought that you can register as a temporary patient for up to 3 months. I've never known it to be a problem before. Perhaps there is another surgery close to you that you could register your mum with if she's staying with you?

Hope she's on the mend soon.

Mojisola

Are they allowed to refuse?

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/how-do-i-register-as-a-temporary-resident-with-a-gp.aspx?CategoryID=68&SubCategoryID=158

meritaten

if mum has private health insurance could she claim on that for private nursing 'aftercare'? just a thought as she has had the op done privately they may well pay for her 'aftercare' if required.

jackyann

I think the clue may be that OP is in London.
In principle, GPs do take temporary residents, but can refuse registration if they have too many patients. The local health authority can "allocate" patients when all practices are full. I worked in an area where that often happened, and temporary patients did fall through the net.

OP could try other practices, or contact her local health authority. However, the effort involved may not be worth it. Her local surgery are more likely to know the local set-up, be better able to communicate etc. so she really is better off at her own home.

Community nurses (as district nurses are now known) will visit, assess and treat appropriately. They will also be able to help with arranging general care.
I would speak to the practice, and ask how communications normally work (it does vary) and definitely check that the surgery & nurses know what is going on with your mum. Private hospitals often don't have the same lines of communication.