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Domiciliary (home) visits for warfarin clinic patients

Read our guide below about who can access home warfarin visits and when we visit you.

You can also download a PDF version of this patient information by following the link on the right.

Who can have home visits?

There are clinics all over the South Bucks area. Like all other hospital appointments, we encourage patients to come to our clinics if possible.

In some cases, where needed, we offer home visits on a permanent or temporary basis.

We can see you at home if:

  • you’re ‘housebound’
  • your GP visits you at home.

You may be totally housebound, or your mobility or medical condition means you can not visit your surgery.

How we plan for home visits

We plan our home visits on a Friday morning, the week before we visit you.  We’ll document this as ‘week commencing’ in your yellow books.

Call us on 01494 323600. You can speak to us that Friday after 2.30pm, or on the following Monday to find out which day we’ll visit you.

Can you give me an exact visit time?

We can not give you an exact time as our nurses/healthcare assistants may be delayed in traffic. Or, they may have to spend longer with a patient who is unwell.

We do understand that sometimes hospital appointments can be difficult to change. Let us know in plenty of time if you’re due a hospital appointment. We ask that you avoid making other appointments on the day of our visit.

Roughly what time will you visit me?

Between 9am and 4pm.Please make sure you’ll be at home.

What do I need to do on the day you visit?

Please have your oral anticoagulation therapy record book (OAT book) ready when the nurse/healthcare assistant calls. Healthcare assistants will take your OAT book back to the hospital.

A nurse will call you later that day if they need to discuss your warfarin dose. We’ll post your OAT book back to you, first class.

Please keep pets under control during our visit.

Access to your property

Some patients have key safes to their property or a special way in which they want our nurses/healthcare assistants to access their property.  Please let us know any key codes or ways in which you want us to gain entry to your home.

Any details you give us are kept in strict confidence.  If for some reason we cannot gain entry to your home we will ring you or a relative to ensure you are safe.

Other times you should call us

Like all of our patients you should call us if you:

  • change your medication including antibiotics, vitamins, painkillers, steroids and herbal medicines
  • have been in hospital for an operation or have been unwell. You must get your INRs tested, back in range and stabilized
  • have a procedure booked, for example, surgery, angiogram, colonoscopy, endoscopy or dental work – you may need a test beforehand
  • change your personal details – name, address, phone number or GP.

Are there any transport options to get to a clinic?

If you can get to one of our clinics you can ask a relative, neighbour or friend to bring you. If you have no transport you can contact:

  • Community Transport Hub on 0800 085 8480 or 01844 348834, Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm.
  • South Central Ambulance Service (criteria based service). Call 0300 100 0015 or email TVnepts@scas.nhs.uk

Find out more about our anticoagulation monitoring services

Find out how you can help to reduce healthcare associated infections when visiting hospital