What is this service?

Our dedicated community nursing teams provide healthcare and support to housebound patients in the home 24/7, 365 days a year.

The teams work in partnership with local healthcare professionals – for example GPs and other specialist Bristol Community Health services - to improve the health and independence of local patients.

By actively supporting those with long term conditions to manage their conditions in the comfort of their own home, our community nurses help to prevent hospital admissions.

 

Community nursing is our largest service, with 211 staff based in teams around Bristol. The teams use mobile working through tablets to cut down on form filling - this ensures that they spend as much time as possible with their patients.

What does this service offer?

Community nursing teams provide a wide range of care and support:

• coordinating care for patients with long term conditions or complex health needs.
• administering medication.
• dressing and managing wounds.
• caring for patients after surgery.
• supporting issues around continence.
• caring at end of life.

Each team is made up of different healthcare professionals, who work together to deliver an effective service:

Community matrons and associate community matrons with extensive knowledge and skills. Our community matrons work with patients to develop personal health plans and to manage long term conditions with the aim of reducing hospital admissions.

District nurse team leaders coordinate caseloads and district nursing care.

District nurses assess, plan and deliver care that matches patients’ individual needs.

Healthcare assistants perform a range of standard care tasks, for example wound dressings, giving injections.

Community nurses for older people promote good health and independence, and who spot early deterioration of conditions which affect patients’ health and well being.

Out of hours nurses provide care between 8pm and 8am and at weekends. Please note, this service works closely with our Rapid Response (urgent care) Teams. Read about a night in the life of an out of hours nurse.

Care coordinators coordinate patient care.

What do patients say about this service?

My nurses are very good at explaining any issues and keep me informed of any changes - I am very happy with their care - district nurse patient.

Who is the service for?

The service is available to housebound patients over the age of 18 who live in Bristol.

How can I access this service?

To access this service you can be referred by your GP or another healthcare professional, or you, your carer or family member can contact the team directly.

We operate from multiple locations across Bristol. Your local GP Practice should be able to give you the telephone number for your local Community nursing healthcare team.

If you are a GP and you would like to refer a patient to this service, access the referral form from the useful documents box on the left.

Patients are visited on a weekday between 8am and 8pm. During evenings, nights and weekends, our out of hours nurses are available to deliver urgent care that cannot wait for a day time appointment.

Key facts about this service

Our community nurses attend over 188,000 appointments in 2014. 99% of urgent cases were seen within four hours by our team.