How
would the Visiting Doctor describe a typical day?
Phone calls and e-consults
initially.
Home visits to treat patients
who are housebound and unwell or nearing the end of their life.
Arranging admissions to hospital
or to the rapid response service who offer additional medical support to
patients in their own home.
They wear full PPE to keep us
and patients safe.
Helping the duty team with
prescriptions.
Dealing with test results and
hospital letters.
What
do they enjoy about your job?
Supporting the sickest and most
vulnerable group patients and their families in their own home.
What
challenges do they face in the role?
It is hot working in PPE!
Sometimes if the rapid response
team who can support patients at home are full, they have to decide if a
hospital admission is needed instead.
Aspen Medical Practice cover a
wide area and can see us travelling from Tuffley to Norton. Visits come in as
patients call in so often. The Visiting
Doctor will do a lot of driving across the city to patients homes.
What
advice would they give to patients?
Please wear a face covering if
you can and ask anyone with you to wear one too.
Please put pets in another room
as they can get distressed when they visit
Please let us know if you or
someone will be able to open the door. If not please make sure we know the
keysafe code.
Please understand this service
is strictly for those who are truly housebound. Please don’t abuse the service
they offer. There has been occasions
when they have visited to find the patient has gone to the hairdressers!
