Norfolk Community Intravenous (IV) Treatment Team

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.