Children and Young People's Home Care Team

The Children & Young People's Home Care Team (C&YPHCT) was established in 1991 after the identification of health needs for children with chronic diseases who were repeatedly attending hospital for treatment or advice which it was acknowledged could be readily provided at home.

Referrals

Referrals to the C&YPHCT are primarily from the Child and Adolescent Unit, but are also received from other hospitals, GPs and a range of other professionals, e.g. Health Visitors, Physiotherapists and Social Workers.

Services provided by the C&YPHCT include:

Surgical

Day case surgery - a follow up visit will be made the day after surgery providing this is performed Monday to Thursday.
Emergency or planned surgical procedures - those which require wound care or general follow up will be visited at home.
Orthopaedic - Plaster checks as necessary, support to parents caring for children with hip spicas or wound checks post surgery.

Medical

Constipation - children with chronic constipation are visited at home and support and advice given along with enemas if required.
Cystic Fibrosis - some of the children with cystic fibrosis have home IV antibiotic treatment on a regular three-monthly basis and are supported at home by the C&YPCHT. We do not routinely give the antibiotics but train parents to do so.
Diabetes – Newly diagnosed children are reviewed by the diabetes team and a structured programme of education is given as an inpatient prior to discharge. The children with diabetes are regularly visited by the Diabetes nurse specialists, hospital admissions post diagnosis are minimal.
Epilepsy – Patients identified as needing support are seen by the epilepsy nurse. The children and their families are reviewed both in hospital and at home.
Oncology – Paediatric oncology shared care with the Principal Treatment centre at Alder Hey. Manchester and Birmingham do not have a service level agreement with MCHFT but their patients are cared for by the home care team on an individual basis with regular home visits to offer support and nursing care as required. Blood sampling, intravenous chemotherapy and injections as part of planned treatment protocols are administered at home when it is clinically safe to do so.
Anaphylaxis - home visits are made to children with allergies. Training in the use of Adrenaline pens provided to the various professionals and carers involved.
Enteral feeding - gastrostomy and nasogastric tube feeding is set up by the C&YPHCT and ongoing support offered as necessary.
Home Oxygen - babies discharged from the neonatal unit on continuous oxygen are cared for at home with regular home visits to monitor progress. Children and young people discharged home on oxygen therapy from the child and adolescent unit are also regularly reviewed at home by the Children’s Community Nurses.
Emergency Department (ED) - Children and young people who attend ED with burns and scalds are followed up at home by the Children’s Community nurses which prevents them returning for ward reviews.
Children with a variety of other medical conditions are visited at home and given support and nursing care as necessary.

How to access the service

If you have any queries regarding the service, please contact the Children and Young People’s Homecare Team by calling 01270 612071. If no one is available to answer, please leave a message as the answerphone is checked throughout the day. Alternatively please e-mail cyphct@mcht.nhs.uk