IV therapy ‘at-home’ pilot launched

Date published: 07 January 2009

People who need to have intravenous (IV) therapy for their antibiotics will be able to complete their treatment at home thanks to a new pilot scheme from NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale.

IV therapy is when medication or fluids are administered directly into the vein through a cannula or catheter. The Community IV Therapy Service provides intravenous antibiotics to patients in their own home up to three times per day, helping to reduce the number of patients having to stay in hospital.

Kathryn Biddulph, IV therapy project leader, said: “People require intravenous antibiotics for a number of different conditions and would currently be required to stay in hospital until their treatment is complete. A hospital stay can cause undue anxiety and inconvenience to patients and relatives. This service enables people to be discharged from hospital earlier and complete their treatment at home, which in turn enables patients to return to their normal routine and helps to free up much needed hospital beds.”