Children’s Reactive Care

The Children's Community Nursing Team delivers specialist paediatric nursing care closer to home for children and young people (CYP) aged 0-18 years.

The service aims to:

• Deliver care closer to home.
• Reduce avoidable hospital attendance and admissions.
• Support earlier discharge from hospital.
• Improve patient and family experience.
• Promote self-management and health education.
• Ensure timely identification and escalation of clinical deterioration.
• Provide safe, effective, and integrated care for children and young people across Bolton.

 Acute Illness Assessment and Management

• Telephone triage undertaken by skilled Children's Community Nurses to identify clinical need and determine the most appropriate nursing intervention and support.
• Urgent nursing assessment for CYP with short-term acute illnesses.
• Delivery of care through:
  • Home visits
  • Telephone consultations
  • Nurse-led clinic appointments
• Nursing contact and triage within 2-4 hours for urgent/same-day referrals from General Practice, (telephone contact required prior to referral to discuss capacity / availability).
• Skilled nursing assessment to identify deterioration and escalate care promptly to appropriate medical services where required.
• Support to reduce:
  • Hospital admissions for acute illnesses
  • Length of hospital stay
  • Avoidable emergency department attendances

Virtual Ward

• Provision of intravenous antibiotic therapy within a virtual ward model where clinically appropriate.

Chronic Condition Support

Education, advice, and symptom management for CYP with long-term conditions including:

• Asthma
• Eczema
• Constipation

Respiratory Care

• Delivery of 48-hour face-to-face respiratory reviews for CYP receiving preventative inhaled therapy.
• Promotion of asthma self-management through education and individualised Asthma Action Plans.

Post-Hospital Care

• Facilitation of early discharge following elective and non-elective surgical admissions.
• Ongoing nursing support following discharge where required.

Wound, Burn and Surgical Care

• Accessible nurse-led community clinics providing:
  • Wound assessment and management
  • Burn assessment and treatment
  • Post-operative wound care

Multidisciplinary Working

• Liaison with multidisciplinary teams to support holistic and coordinated care for CYP and their families.

Referrals are accepted from:

• General Practice
• Royal Bolton Hospital
• Paediatric Emergency Department (PED)
• Tertiary hospitals for:
  • Intravenous antibiotics
  • Henoch-Schoenlein Purpura (HSP)
  • Post-operative wound care
  • Burn care

Children and Young People:

• Aged 0-18 years
• Presenting with an acute childhood illness with a confirmed or working diagnosis
• Requiring an identified nursing intervention

Referral requirements:

• Clinical observations must be completed and documented at the time of referral

Referral via 01204 463939