Gp surgery

[AppleCrumbCake]

My child needs to have some bloods taken for a nhs consultant at the city hospital. My son has social anxiety and cannot leave the house. This is something we are working on but presently it’s extremely difficult to move forward with treatments. Our local GP surgery have stated that they can’t do a home visit for two reasons - he’s under 16 (he’s 15) and he is physically able to come into the surgery. I don’t know if we are being fobbed off or if this is actually an nhs policy or NICE guideline. Our family has had a mixed experience of the surgery over the years but I’m aware they will be under a lot of pressure to serve the community on limited resources. I’m not sure if there’s an alternative way of getting bloods done?

If he will go to the hospital can you get them done there - you say they need doing for the consultant so did he go to the appointment at the hospital.

When we see our child's consultant paediatrician at the hospital they can also take blood there in the children's unit.

What about the district nurse coming to you - they do not do everything so you would have to enquire if they take blood or are willing to visit.

Does bribery work with him to get him to the doctors - promise him something (within reason) If he goes and gets the blood test.

Usually someone will have to be on the "housebound" list to get district nurse to come to house.

I take it he doesn't go to school if he can't leave the house?
Who does he see about his anxiety? Can they write a letter to GP surgery confirming he is housebound and the reasons why?

GPs only do house visits for genuinely housebound or terminally ill patients. Does the phlebotomy department in the hospital have a paediatric phlebotomy department?

District Nurses only attend to housebound and terminally ill patients too.

He cant leave the house so sadly all contact with the consultant has been over video calls and calls. He has never been to the city hospital.

The local GP surgery won’t send anyone, including the nurse (our preference)

Sadly no school attendance, his social anxiety is so high he has major panic attacks at the thought of going out. He needs the bloods taken to have anxiety medication.

Asking the consultant to ask the local surgery to add him to the house bound list is a good idea. Thankyou. Is it true they don’t do visits for under 16s though?

If you can collect the forms from the surgery you might be able to find a private phlebotomy service that do home visits. Insurance companies use them. It depends where you live.
Alternatively the hospital consultant might be able to organise.
When I was working the hospital sent community phlebotomists out to house bound patients as a matter of course.
As pp said, your son just needs to be added to the housebound list.

He is housebound as can’t leave the house. I would speak to the practice manager and ask again about the policy, why you can’t have a district nurse. He’s not able to get in to the practice so they should facilitate the bloods being taken at home IMO.

Asking the consultant to ask the local surgery to add him to the house bound list is a good idea. Thankyou. Is it true they don’t do visits for under 16s though?

In some areas the district nurses and phlebotomists only deal with adults. Children all go to a paediatric team, usually at the hospital.

If that's the case in your area then the hospital consultant will need to refer to the community paediatric team.

Ask your GP practice what happens with children in your area

Our GP surgery don't do any blood tests anymore. Apparently, they've "opted out" of providing that service!!! They send you to the local hospital's "drop in" phlebotomy dept.

Same here.

The only thing I can suggest is paying privately for a home service.
The bloods he needs are non-negotiable. Home visits are only for TI patients in my area.

I'm a Practice Manager, I think it's worth having a conversation with yours. Your circumstances are unusual and they might be able to help.