Saving lives in local homes

Omagh Rapid Response Nursing Team is a group of highly-skilled nurses who serve at the interface where the hospital meets the community.Often, they administer acute, life-saving care in the comfort of a patient’s own home.

For other, less sick patients, they provide treatment from Omagh’s Clinical Care Centre – a relaxed, almost homely, unit that is housed within Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Clinic.

To hear more about the work they do with some of the most medically vulnerable members of our community, the UH paid a visit to the Clinical Care Centre and spoke with team leader of Omagh Rapid Response Nursing Team, Oonagh Andrews.

“We are a team of nurses that bridge the gap between the community and the hospital,” began Oonagh, who has been working in the nursing field for 32 years.

Starting out as a young assistant in the Tyrone County Hospital in the early 1990s, aged just 16, Oonagh worked her way up the ranks.

She completed her nurse training in Kings College Hospital, London, and, quite recently, in 2018, became team leader (sister) of Omagh Rapid Response Nursing Team.

“Our job is to provide convenient care close to a patient’s home,” explained Oonagh.

“This might mean literally doing house calls, sometimes as often four times per day, or else providing treatment in a facility close to where the patient lives.

“Our primary aim is to promote early discharge or prevent hospital admission in the first place.”

If a patient is mobile and in good enough health, Oonagh’s team will administer their treatment in Omagh’s Clinical Care Centre.

“If it would be too hard or risky for them to come here, then we go to their home.”

The team deliver a wide variety of treatments, some of which can, without hyperbole, be called life-saving.

“We provide a broad range of therapies, including IV antibiotics and immunoglobulents for people with immune deficiency disorders.

“These treatments help patient’s fight off infections that could otherwise be fatal, and patients ,usually receive them for rest of their life.”

Sat in a comfortable leather armchair, working away on her laptop while she received her treatment, was a young woman called Gemma.

Pointing towards her, Oonagh described the difference the service makes in the lives of local people.

“Before we were able to do this, Gemma would have had to go to Belfast every three weeks.

“In more severe cases, it would be every week.

“It is much more convenient this way – Gemma does not have to waste time and energy travelling. She can sit here and do her work, and, like many of our regular visitors, she feels part of the family here now.”

The relaxed atmosphere of the place was evident in Gemma’s expression; she looked like she could have been sitting behind her work desk, or even in her living room.

“Patients come in, get a cup of tea, and it is almost like a wee day out. Instead of being a daunting experience, it is a pleasant one.”

Life-saving

The team, Oonagh explained, provide IV antibiotics for people with respiratory problems, chest infections, pneumonia, pulmonary fibrosis, bronchiolitises, and a number of other conditions and diseases.

“We also treat people with urine infections, skin infections, bone infections… basically any infections.

“It is all about cutting down on hospital admissions, and reducing the risk of acquiring an infection.”

The team also perform blood transfusions and platelet infusions.

“That is mainly for people with hematological disorders, but also those with various cancers,” explained Oonagh.

“And we do iron infusions for people with chronic anemia, too.”

Before Omagh Rapid Response Nursing Team, patients would have had go to Derry, SWAH or even Belfast for these treatments.

“Thankfully, that is not the case anymore,” said Oonagh.

Once the team finish their day’s work, their extends on into the night.

“We work until midnight, troubleshooting problems in the community that our district nurses look after 9am to 5pm, and we also offer support for palliative patients.”

‘Ideal setup’

“The whole things work really well,” reflected Oonagh, candidly.

“Generally, if people can be treated at home, they do not want to be in hospital. I think it is an ideal setup,” she said. “I love it here.”

Oonagh said that until people need her team, they scarcely know it exists.

“What we have here does not exist in any other trust.

“We are nurse-led, and we try to make every referral work, if we can.

“If our service was cut, honestly, the people who depend on us would lose their lives.”