Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust operates two community IV services:
Community IV Central (Norwich, North, South)
Primarily supports patients discharged from Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital or who live in Norwich, North and South Norfolk from 08:00 – 18:00
Community IV West
Pimarily supports patients discharged from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital or are living in West Norfolk from 08:00 – 20:00
Community IV Central Nursing Team
Our service
Community IV services allow patients to continue their course of intravenous (IV) treatment at home. This has many benefits, including increased physical activity, improved nutrition, and more opportunities to see friends and family. It's a safe and effective way to care for patients who need IV therapy but do not need to stay in hospital.
Before discharge
A Community IV Therapy Nurse will assess the patient in hospital, explain the service, gain consent, and support the discharge process. The hospital will notify the Community IV Therapy Nurse of the patient's discharge date and time, and we will plan the first home visit.
First home visit
A Community IV Therapy Nurse will visit the patient at home as agreed in hospital. The nurse will usually arrive at the scheduled time, but may be up to one hour early or late. During the visit, the nurse will take general observations, such as blood pressure and temperature. These checks will continue at least once a day. Any concerns will be discussed with the patient's medical team.
Blood tests
Blood tests are usually done once a week. The nurse will let the patient know when a test is scheduled. Results are typically available the next day. The Community IV Therapy team will review the results with the hospital medical team and inform the patient of any changes to their treatment plan.
Looking after the IV line
Patients will receive written information on how to care for and monitor their IV line. If there are any concerns, please contact the Community IV Therapy team using the phone numbers provided.
Follow-up visits and discharge from the service
When the IV therapy course is complete, the nurse will discuss removing the IV line with the patient and medical team. In some cases, the line may be left in place. If so, we will explain why. Typically, the nurse will remove the line after the final prescribed dose. A dressing will be applied after removal.
Patient information leaflets
Click here for a leaflet about the Community IV Central service.
Click here for a leaflet about the Community IV West service.
Contact us
Community IV Central (Norwich, North, South)
Phone: 01603 518444
For non-urgent call-backs from the Community IV Therapy Team
Available: Daily, 8am to 6pm
Email: CommunityIVTherapyTeam@nchc.nhs.uk
For non-urgent enquiries
Available: Daily, 8am to 6pm
Out of hours:
Call 111 for urgent medical assistance between 6pm and 8am.
GP:
Please contact your GP for advice and treatment for other pre-existing conditions.
Community IV West
Phone: 07827 282721
For non-urgent call-backs from the Community IV Therapy Team
Available: Daily, 8am to 8pm
Out of hours:
Call 111 for urgent medical assistance between 8pm and 8am.
GP:
Please contact your GP for advice and treatment for other pre-existing conditions.
Help with health costs
If you're referred to hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostic tests by a doctor, dentist or another primary care health professional, you may be able to claim a refund of reasonable travel costs under the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS). Find out more about the HTCS.