A FREE HSE Mid West service where patients on intravenous (IV) antibiotics are discharged early from hospital and treated at home or in the community has improved patient experience and helped free up acute hospital beds for other patients.
Along with the significant annual saving of more than 3,200 bed-days through admission avoidance or reduced lengths of stay, the region’s Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) service also ensures that patients can safely return home with minimal disruption to their lives.
OPAT, established in the Mid West in 2017, operates 365 days a year and aims to ensure that no patient receiving IV antimicrobials who otherwise fit for discharge remains in the hospital unnecessarily.
To the end of 2024, 1,049 patients have been discharged onto the Mid West OPAT service, saving approximately 24,000 bed days.
Maria Molyneaux, candidate advanced nurse practitioner at OPAT, said that “the aim is to review all patients within 24 hours of referral and discharge patients who fit the national OPAT discharge criteria within 48 to 72 hours of review”.
“Every visit is a reassuring experience,” said Limerick city resident Oliwia Szafran.
“They always take time to listen and address any questions, which made me feel supported and genuinely cared for, throughout my treatment.”
Oliwia is particularly enthusiastic about learning to self-administer her medication, saying that “being able to manage my treatment from home has brought a sense of normalcy back to my life, allowing me to continue with my daily routines”.
“The nurses taught me each step with patience and clarity, giving me the confidence I needed to handle things on my own.”
The OPAT homecare service is available 365 days, 8am to 8pm, via the community intervention team (CIT).
Patients remain under the care of the primary consultant and infectious diseases (ID) consultant while receiving IV treatment at home, and there is a weekly review in the OPAT clinic with the ID consultant and senior nursing team or primary consultant.
Benefits for the patient include equivalent clinical outcomes to hospital care, without the stress of being in hospital, the HSE said.
