Home Visits

We are proud to offer home visits through our dedicated Housebound Team, providing care to patients who are unable to attend the surgery due to their health conditions.

Please see further below for details of when you may be eligible for a home visit.

If you are eligible and require a home visit, please call us on 📞 01293 820833
🕙 If possible, contact us before 10:30am to help us plan the day effectively.

Home visits are reserved for patients who are either:

• Genuinely housebound, or

• Too unwell to leave the house

Please do not request a home visit if you are able to attend the surgery.
A GP can see 4–5 patients in the time it takes for one home visit, and surgeries are better equipped for examination and treatment.

A GP may call you before visiting to assess your condition. Home visits are made only if clinically appropriate.

A patient is considered housebound if they:

• Are unable to leave their home at all, or

• Require significant assistance to leave due to:

  • Illness or frailty

  • Recent surgery

  • Disability

  • Mental health conditions

  • End-of-life care needs

These patients are unable to receive their care in a GP surgery or clinic setting.

🚫 Who is not considered housebound?

You will not be classed as housebound if you can leave your home:

• On your own or with minimal assistance

• To attend social or recreational activities, shopping, or hospital appointments

Changing Circumstances

We recognise that your situation may change over time.

• Eligibility for home visits is reviewed regularly

• You may be placed on the housebound register temporarily, e.g. after surgery or during recovery

• If you no longer meet the criteria, you will be expected to attend the surgery for planned care

While most home visits are made to patients on the housebound register, this is not the only reason a home visit may be offered.

You may request a home visit if:

• You are housebound

• You are terminally ill

• You are bedbound due to an acute illness, and travelling to the surgery would:

  • Cause a deterioration in your condition, or

  • Lead to unacceptable discomfort

• You normally attend the surgery with support, but are unable to arrange help on this occasion due to an unexpected illness

🩺 What to Expect

• If your request meets the criteria, your name will be added to the Home Visit list

• A GP will call you first to assess your needs

• The GP will decide if a home visit is clinically necessary

• In some cases, your issue may be managed over the phone without needing a home visit

Please note: Not all home visit requests will result in a GP attending in person. Care will always be provided in the most appropriate and effective way for your medical needs.