Healthcare Team

Community Nurses

The Whitstable Neighbourhood Care Team

The team is comprised of a Clinical Lead Band 7 nurse, a Long-Term Conditions Lead nurse Band 7, 2 Case managers Band 6, and a mixture of Community Staff nurses and Healthcare Assistants. We also have a Health and Social Care Co-ordinator who works within the team to ensure the correct care is provided for each patient.

The nursing service covers 24 hours a day and can be accessed via your GP or the out-of-hours system.

The nurses can be reached through the GP Surgery or directly via their mobile phones or office number which will be provided once the housebound patient is admitted onto the caseload.

Referral to the Neighbourhood Care Team can be done via your GP, via the Acute Trust, via Social Services and other Healthcare Professionals. If you feel you or you relative require the input at home please contact the GP who will refer you.

The nurses with your consent might refer you to other services to ensure all of your needs are assessed appropriately.

Once your care is completed you will be discharged but may remain in the care of other Healthcare Professionals and/or Social Services.

The aim of the team is to provide a high standard of care within the patient’s home and to prevent hospital admissions. We also provide telephone advice and support.

Examples of situations where you might require a nurse to provide specialist care at home:

• Complex wound management
• Palliative and End of Life support and care
• Intravenous Injections, Care of Picc lines
• Management and promotion of independence in Diabetes and other Long-Term Conditions
• Continence assessment and education, catheter guidance and management
• Drug administration, education, PEG feeding
• Health education and promotion
• Long-Term Condition management for example: COPD, Diabetes, Heart Failure
• Frail elderly living alone at home falls advice and guidance, assessment and provision of equipment both short-term and long-term
• Support for families and carers looking after loved ones at home

Please speak to your GP or surgery if you would like to be referred to this service.

Health Visitors

Who are Health Visitors?

• Health Visitors are qualified nurses or midwives with specialist training in public health for children, young people and families
• Health Visitors work with local communities, whole families and individual children within a variety of different settings
• Health visitors lead and deliver the Healthy Child Programme for 0-5 year olds, offering support to all families in pregnancy up to when children are aged 5.

How can Health Visitors support you and your child aged 0-5 years?

• Supporting the health and wellbeing of your whole family, from ante-natal visits until your child goes to school.
• Providing advice on healthy choices, eg: breastfeeding, weaning and healthy eating.
• Working closely with children’s centres to promote family activities which help build a strong bond with your child.
• Offering development reviews to ensure your child is reaching their full potential.
• Promoting the childhood immunisation programme which ensures your child is protected against disease and infection.
• Supporting and informing families with specific difficulties such as postnatal depression.
• Offering advice and information on wider issues such as housing problems, domestic abuse or child abuse.
• Offering access to speech and language therapists.

If you would like to speak to a Health Visitor please call 0300 790 0156

Community Midwives

If you have any queries or would like to speak to a midwife please contact the maternity liaison office on 01227 864152