District Nurses

Availability

To contact the District Nursing team, please call the duty desk on 01865 903177 which is open Monday to Friday 8.00 am to 6.30 pm, Saturday and Sunday 8.00 am to 4.00 pm.

Our role

Our role is to assess the health needs of people who are housebound and plan a programme of care to meet those needs. 

Employed by  Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, we work both independently and collaboratively with the Primary Health Care Team and we are based at Townlands Hospital.  Liaising with statutory and voluntary agencies such as social services, specialist resources and associations, is also a very important part of our work.

A patient is deemed to be housebound when they are unable to leave their home environment through a physical or psychological illness.  A patient is not considered housebound if he or she is able to leave their home with minimal assistance.  For example unassisted/assisted visits to the doctor, dentist, hairdresser, supermarket, social events. Patients requiring transport can contact the FISH voluntary agency or taxi services.  FISH also runs a weekly bus service to and from Binfield Heath. 

As well as providing professional support, skilled nursing care, health education and advice to patients, relatives and carers, we also teach undergraduate and postgraduate nursing students, health care assistants and medical students. 

 

How can you contact us? 

Please call the duty desk, as above.  District nurses we are not an emergency service.  However, if you have an urgent nursing problem which cannot wait until the following day, the receptionist will endeavour to contact us via our mobile phones.

Should you come into Sonning Common Health Centre's reception wishing to see a district nurse, you will be asked to contact the duty desk as the team is now based at Townlands Hospital.

Outside of our normal working hours (as above), please contact the Oxfordshire Out of Hours Service. If you have an urgent need of medical assistance, call 111.

Prescriptions 

If we are visiting you for a nursing need and you have no friend, neighbour, relative or carer to fetch a prescription from the chemist for you, we may deliver it to you on a planned visit. However, due to our workload commitments, this is not something we can routinely undertake. You may ask Carsons chemist to deliver it for you if they dispense your medication. An alternative is to contact FISH or Age UK (telephone numbers below). 

Nursing equipment/aids

Should nursing equipment/aids be delivered to you, unless you are instructed that they are the property of the district nurses, please do not return them to the Health Centre. There should be a label on the equipment with a telephone number on it for Millbrook.  Please phone them directly for collection. If equipment was obtained from any hospital it should be returned there. 

 

Feedback

As a team, we are committed to improving and developing our service and if you wish to pass on any comments or complaints regarding your care, please do not hesitate to discuss this with any member of the team, either during your visit or by contacting us.

We are very grateful to Sonning Common Community Care Fund who provide the district nursing team with equipment to improve patient care. Should you wish to make any donations to this valuable local resource, the fund secretary is Mrs Joan Thorne  (0118) 972 3383.

Other useful telephone numbers

Private nursing care services and help

Midwives

We have a midwife at the surgery on Friday afternoons. Patients can book an appointment with the midwife if they think they are pregnant. Patients need to book directly to see the midwife by calling 0118 322 8964 and select option 1.