Patients are only eligible for Home Visits if they are housebound.

If you require a home visit please telephone before 11:00.

If you are unable to get to the Surgery because you have a serious illness, you can call the Surgery to request a home visit. However, please note, home visits are for medical reasons, not social or personal. To assist in determining if you will be considered housebound you will be expected to meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Has a physical or psychological condition with documented evidence which states that it would be detrimental to the patient’s condition or recovery to travel OR
• Requires assistance from more than one person to get in and of a vehicle OR
• Needs medical/clinical support during the journey OR
• Is wheelchair bound and has no Carer available to assist them
• Is bedbound

You will not be eligible for a home visit for any of the following reasons:

• If you can get to your GP/ Hospital or Community Clinics
• If family members or carers take you out or you visit them
• If you drive or use taxi services
• If you are able to get in a vehicle independently or use public transport services e.g. bus, train

An individual will not be eligible for a home visit if they are able to leave their home on their own or with minimal assistance to visit public or social/recreational services or can go shopping or go to the hairdressers etc.

You will be assessed on the telephone by a clinician prior to a home visit being confirmed. Therefore please ensure the telephone line is kept free whilst you are waiting for a call back. Sometimes a visit is not indicated and problems can be dealt with over the phone.

If you require a home visit, please telephone before 11:00 unless it is an emergency and please give some indication of the reason, this will help the clinician priorities your clinical needs.

A doctor or nurse will phone you back as it may be that your problem can be dealt with by telephone advice, or that it would be more appropriate to send a nurse, or indeed arrange a hospital attendance.

Please remember that several patients can be seen in the practice in the time that it takes to make one home visit. There are also better facilities for examining and treating patients at the Health Centre.

View our Home Visiting Policy.