Patient information: Nursing

Our integrated community teams provide a wide range of nursing care to people who are unable to leave their homes even with the support of family, friends or carers.

Our qualified nurses and experienced competent health care assistants work with you to provide care such as:

• chronic wound management
• pressure ulcer management
• diabetes management
• elderly and frail with a nursing need
• administering injectable medication( only if unable to self-manage)
• routine catheter change
• end of life

We support you in looking after your own general health and wellbeing, giving advice, support and reassurance to you, your family and carers. We will support and educate you and your family to manage your own care where possible and provide treatments directly to you, if you are assessed not to be able to do this yourself. You will have an individualised care plan, a copy of which will be given to you. This will inform you of the number of visits we will be carrying out and what we will be doing on these visits. These will be revised over time as your condition improves or if there is any other change in your needs. If you need help in-between your planned visits, a contact number will be provided for you to seek the help you need. We use electronic records so there will not be a comprehensive set of notes about your care in your own home.

Some of our staff have extended skills in consultation, diagnosis and independent prescribing and if we feel this will support the delivery of care to you, we will seek the opinion of an expert.

We can support you if you are being discharged from hospital by providing any ongoing treatment that can be delivered safely in the home environment. We also try to avoid you having an unnecessary admission to hospital but there are occasions that we would recommend an admission if it is clinically indicated. Some treatments cannot be given in a home environment as it is not safe to do so and if this is the case we will make an alternative arrangement for the delivery of this specific care.

If you have decided that at the end of your life, you would like to be at home, we will visit as required and we are available for this around the clock, every day of the year.

Patient information: Therapy

Our community therapists provide physiotherapy and occupational therapy rehabilitation, if you are experiencing a loss of independent living and are housebound, or your own home is felt to be the best place to support your recovery. In Thurrock only there is also a gym facility where we run groups and have the use of specialised equipment to aid recovery.

The need for physiotherapy or occupational therapy may be the result of a number of medical conditions, including:

• orthopaedic conditions such as hip replacements or arthritis
• neurological conditions such as strokes or Parkinson’s disease
• respiratory problems such as chest infections

You will have a thorough assessment and a personalised rehabilitation programme will be agreed with you. All rehabilitation programmes are time limited and goal orientated. You will be expected to continue your rehabilitation independently following the programme set  in-between the therapist visits to help you become as independent as possible. We are not able to provide you daily therapy or continue to see you when you have achieved your goals, as maintenance therapy is not provided.

We can provide advice, information, the temporary loan of specialist equipment and arrange longer term equipment if that is what you require.

Basildon/Wickford

Craylands 
Basildon
Essex
SS14 3RR

Tel:  0300 300 1712 

Brentwood/Billericay

Brentwood Community Hospital,
Crescent Drive,
Brentwood
CM15 8DR

0300 300 1712 

Thurrock

Gifford House,
Thurrock Community Hospital
Long Lane 
Grays 
Essex
RM16 2PX

01375 511000

Opening times: Nursing staff are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, therapist provide a service Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. The service can be contacted via Single Point of Access (SPA) for Basildon and Brentwood and Thurrock First for Thurrock (numbers above).

Between 7am and 7pm calls will be diverted to Basildon Hospital switchboard. Patients will be asked to identify which area they live in. If you call during these hours emergency situations only can be responded to , if it is not urgent you will be advised and a visit during normal working hours will be scheduled.

 

Referrals

Referrals will be accepted via electronic means on SystmOne or by telephone (on above numbers). Self-referrals will also be accepted but please note this is only if you are already currently being seen by our service. For patients not currently known to the service, referrals must be made via a health or social care practitioner.