Children's Community Nursing Team

The Children's Community Nursing Team (CCNT) was established after the identification of health needs for children with chronic diseases who were repeatedly attending hospital for treatment or advice which it was acknowledged could be readily provided at home.

Referrals

Referrals Referrals to the CCNT are primarily from the Child and Adolescent Unit, but are also received from other hospitals, GPs and a range of other professionals, e.g. Health Visitors, Physiotherapists and Social Workers.

Services provided by the CCNT include:

Surgical

Day Case Surgery - A follow up visit will be made the day after surgery providing this is performed Monday to Thursday.
Emergency or planned surgical procedures - Those which require wound care or general follow up will be visited at home.
Orthopaedic - Plaster checks as necessary, support to parents caring for children with hip spicas or wound checks post surgery.

Medical

Cystic Fibrosis - Some of the children with cystic fibrosis are supported at home by the CF Nurse within CCNT. Advice and guidance will be given by contacting the CF team via the telephone number for the service.
Diabetes – Newly diagnosed children are reviewed by the diabetes team and a structured programme of education is given as an inpatient prior to discharge. The children with diabetes are regularly visited by the Diabetes nurse specialists, hospital admissions post diagnosis are minimal.
Epilepsy – Patients identified as needing support are seen by the epilepsy nurse. The children and their families are reviewed both in hospital and at home.
Oncology – Paediatric oncology shared care with the Principal Treatment centre at Alder Hey. Manchester and Birmingham do not have a service level agreement with MCHFT but their patients are cared for by the home care team on an individual basis with regular home visits to offer support and nursing care as required. Blood sampling, intravenous chemotherapy and injections as part of planned treatment protocols are administered at home when it is clinically safe to do so.
Enteral feeding - Gastrostomy and nasogastric tube feeding is set up by the CCNT and ongoing support offered as necessary.
Home Oxygen - babies discharged from the neonatal unit on continuous oxygen are cared for at home with regular home visits to monitor progress. Children and young people discharged home on oxygen therapy from the child and adolescent unit are also regularly reviewed at home by the Children’s Community Nurses.
Emergency Department (ED) & Minor Injuries Unit (VIN) - Children and young people who attend ED with burns and scalds are followed up at home by the Children’s Community nurses which prevents them returning for ward reviews.
Venepuncture - blood tests requested by the medical team for known patients to CCNT can be completed at home to prevent unnecessary visits to hospital. Children with a variety of other medical conditions are visited at home and given support and nursing care as necessary.

How to access the service

If you have any queries regarding the service, please contact the team by calling 01270 612071. If no one is available to answer, please leave a message as the answerphone is checked throughout the day. Alternatively please e-mail ccnt@mcht.nhs.uk (for referrals from health professionals and non urgent queries)