Covid Oximetry at home (CO@H)
A primary care allied service for increased monitoring of Covid-19 in the community, sitting between self-management and admission/palliation. This is a CFT nurse-led service, which often may need the support of the referring GP at times (eg establishing COPD baseline, palliation planning where appropriate, discharge of the anxious patient, etc).
Please note: this is not the Virtual Covid Ward service, which is a step down service for inpatients from secondary care with specialist oversight (not available to ED patients, who without admission remain in the community).
Assessment pathway
Requirements:
-
Covid-19 diagnosis clinically likely and/or positive test result
AND
-
Symptomatic (Face-to-face or virtual assessment must be informed by observations)
AND EITHER
-
Aged 65+ years old
OR
-
Under 65yrs and clinically extremely vulnerable to Covid-19
This includes all residents of a care home who choose to have all care needs met at home other than ITU/NIV
Referral to Covid Oximetry at Home
Patient referred by SERF (Single Electronic Referral Form)
-
GP/ED/CATU/Community Hospital/MIU/OOH Services GP can all refer
-
Patient consented they are happy with patient contact
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Referrer provides information pack including pulse oximeter to patient (packs held at GP practices/ED/MIU/111 and Community Hospitals)
-
Patient to be advised by referrer will be contacted by the CO@H team in <2hrs
-
Referrer notified of referral outcome at this time and 111 special note made for patient
They will refer to the relevant virtual ward team, who will check the patient:
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has pulse oximeter and information
-
is guided through Virtual support offer and safety netted
-
knows how to take readings and at what times.
-
takes readings three times daily
-
if not deteriorating within 14 days of onset of symptoms is discharged with information and safetynetting
This team provides a virtual monitoring service 9am - 5pm, 7 days a week
In out of hours, care defaults to normal OOH provision
Covid Oximetry at Home team current monitoring protocol:
Covid Oximetry at Home email
(NB for queries not referrals which use SERF instead, this shares an email address with the virtual covid ward, which is a separate service for secondary care):
Care Home outbreak coordinator
Louise Forbes - Care Home Programme Manager. Contact via Bodmin switchboard 01208 251300