A NEW service has been set up to provide intravenous medication to people in their own home.

This will see patients in need of IV medication, which is administered directly into the vein, receive it in the comfort of their own home rather than having to remain in hospital.

IV at Home is run by Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership (CCICP) - a collaboration between Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and the South Cheshire and Vale Royal GP Alliance, which covers 29 local GP practices.

A team of specially trained nurses will provide a 9am to 5pm service, seven days a week, to people in the Vale Royal and South Cheshire areas.

The service identifies patients that are most suitable for the therapy and aims to reduce the pressure on Leighton Hospital, by increasing the number of beds available to support acute admissions.

Providing IV medications to patients in their own home will allow them to continue with their life quicker, whilst maintaining the high quality of care they would have received in hospital.

Dr Diego Maseda, acute medicines consultant, said: “IV at home patients will receive an enhanced experience, having a treatment as good as what they would be having in a hospital, but with the advantage of being in their own environment.”

Laura Reynolds, care community service manager for Crewe, added: “This is a great opportunity for patients to have access to a service which will allow them to have ownership for their own health whilst being cared for in their own home.”