South Warwickshire FT shifts intravenous therapy into the community

Although home-based IV therapy was already available to orthopaedic patients, other patients would have to have the treatment administered as an inpatient in hospital.

The trust is aiming to transform community services, which it took over in April last year, with the intention of providing care in the most appropriate setting.

It says the new IV service allows treatment to be given safely by specialist staff, within a patient’s own home. Previously, patients would have to make repeated journeys to hospital, sometimes more than once a week, while others had to stay overnight.

GPs are also able to refer directly into this service to avoid patients from being admitted to hospital unnecessarily.