If you think you may need a home visit, to help us, we would be grateful if requests for a home visit are made before 10:30am. The doctors may go out on their home visits anytime between finishing morning surgery and starting afternoon surgery. If you phone after the doctors have already left the building we may not be able to visit until the following day, unless it is an emergency.
Help us to help you
Home visits, whilst convenient, actually offer a poorer standard of care compared to surgery consultations.
- Poor facilities (soft beds, poor lighting, lack of hygiene)
- Inefficiency (the doctor could see 4 to 6 other patients in the time taken for a home visit)
- Lack of records and chaperones (required for self-care and examinations)
- If the patient is unwell and needs an ambulance it can be dangerous for them to be left alone. The surgery, where medical and nursing staff and emergency equipment is available, is much safer
- Patients can be seen more promptly at the surgery often within 30 minutes if the GP thinks it is necessary. For a home visit you may be seen up to 6 hours after you made the visit request
- The environment in a patient’s home is not ideal to carry out a clinical examination and assessment​ for both patient and the GP
We have noticed that many patients are requesting visits that are inappropriate and unnecessary. This is having a negative impact upon other aspects of our service. Calling the doctor out unnecessarily takes them away from patients who may be in more clinical need. Most of the consultations during home visits could easily and safely be carried out in the surgery. Because patients might not know this, we are letting you know our policy.
Appropriate
- Housebound
- Terminally ill
- Would cause serious harm if moved
Inappropriate
- No transport or money
- Children, young people and anyone who is mobile
- Social reasons or for convenience
- Other help more appropriate