About the service
The Isle of Wight OPAT team provide effective treatment for infections that may otherwise require prolonged hospital stay for intravenous antimicrobial treatment. The service can also improve quality of life, provide patient choice, reduce necessity for hospital admission (and hence reduce risk for healthcare associated infection) and can also help to facilitate early discharge from the hospital.
What we do
Our Isle of wight OPAT team has a multi-disciplinary approach consisting of Consultant Microbiologists, Antimicrobial Pharmacist and a small specialist nursing team based in the community who in- reach into the acute hospital.
Patients are identified and escalated to microbiology to determine whether they meet the criterial for OPAT treatment. This is determined by the type of infection being treated supported by microbiology sample results and whether appropriate once a day antimicrobial treatment can be identified. OPAT patients remain under the clinical responsibility of a designated consultant for the duration of their care.
Patients taken on by OPAT need to be on a once-a-day dose of intravenous antibiotics. The nursing team risk assess each patient and ensure the appropriate vascular access device is used. They will then visit them daily at their home address or another outpatient setting.
Accessing the service
You must be referred into the service by a clinician and then colleagues in microbiology will determine if your infection meets the criteria for you to be referred into the OPAT team.
How to find us
The OPAT service that runs seven days a week 8am – 4pm and the team are currently based on the St Marys hospital site, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 5TG.
Contact information
To contact the team please call the single point of access number: 01983 522214