Home Visits

When can I request a home visit?

Home visits are available for patients who are genuinely unable to attend the practice because of their medical condition or circumstances.

A home visit may be appropriate if you are:

• Completely bedbound or unable to move.
• Receiving end-of-life or palliative care.
• Experiencing severe mobility problems that mean you cannot safely attend the practice, even with appropriate assistance.
• Experiencing a medical condition that severely limits your ability to leave your home.

Each request is assessed individually by a clinician. A home visit is not automatically provided simply because a patient requests one.

Why might I be asked to attend the practice?

Where you are medically able to attend the practice, we will normally ask you to do so, including where you can attend with appropriate assistance.

The practice has access to equipment, facilities and a wider range of clinical services that cannot be taken to a patient’s home. For this reason, clinical effectiveness and patient safety take priority over convenience.

Difficulty arranging transport does not, on its own, mean that a home visit is clinically appropriate. Patients who are able to attend should consider support from family, friends or carers, or available community transport options.

How are home visit requests assessed?

All home visit requests are assessed by a clinician before a visit is arranged.

The clinician will consider:

• Your medical condition and clinical needs.
• Your mobility and ability to attend the practice.
• Whether you need a physical examination or face-to-face assessment.
• How urgent your condition is.
• Any relevant patient or staff safety concerns.
• Whether another option would be more appropriate.

Depending on your circumstances, you may be offered an alternative such as a telephone or video consultation, an appointment at the practice with appropriate assistance, or support from an appropriate community or healthcare service.

When should I request a home visit?

If you think you may need a home visit, please contact the practice as early as possible.

For same-day requests, we ask that you contact us before 10:30am wherever possible. This gives the clinical team sufficient time to assess your request and plan the day’s visits appropriately.

Please provide the Care Navigation Team with enough information about your condition and why you are unable to attend the practice. This information will be passed to a clinician for assessment.

What if I need urgent or emergency care?

A GP home visit is not a substitute for emergency medical care.

If you believe you or someone else is experiencing a medical emergency, you should seek the appropriate urgent or emergency service rather than waiting for a routine home visit.

The clinician assessing your request may advise you to seek urgent or emergency care if this is the safest and most appropriate option.

What happens after my request is assessed?

If a home visit is appropriate, it will be arranged according to clinical priority and clinician availability.

The visiting clinician will be given relevant information about your circumstances and the reason for the visit. The assessment, treatment and outcome of the visit will be recorded in your medical record.

Our approach to home visiting

Our aim is to make sure that home visits are available to patients who genuinely need care at home, while ensuring that all patients receive safe, effective and timely care.

Every request is considered on its individual circumstances. The decision to undertake a home visit is a clinical decision made by the assessing clinician.

Read our full Home Visiting Policy