A NEW service allowing people with breathing disorders to be treated with intravenous antibiotics at home has been launched in North Yorkshire.

The Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group is piloting a community-based IV service following a year-long consultation process.

IV therapy is routine in hospitals – and is often the reason why people are admitted as in-patients in the first place.

Under the pilot scheme once a patient has been identified as suitable for home IV antibiotics, an initial consultation will be carried out with a specialist nurse.

Then, based on individual confidence and ability, patients will be given the option to have a nurse visit them at home to administer IVs, or to administer the IVs themselves with the appropriate training.

Deputy chief clinical officer Andrew Phillips said: “We have spent the last 12 months in conversation with our community and we have learned about their priorities, wants and needs for a health and social care system.

“We have taken this knowledge and used it to produce a plan that can deliver services to meet the aspirations of the community from within the available resources.”

Dr Phillips added: “Community-based IV services can be of significant benefit to both patients and the NHS.

“They can prevent hospital admissions and facilitate early discharge, improve patient safety by reducing the risk of infection and improve choice by enabling patients to stay in their homes.”