How to request patient supplies
Your child’s equipment and supplies will be ordered by your child’s team of Children’s Community Nurses on the office telephone numbers below between the hours of 9.00am and 5.00pm:
Grantham Team 01476 464457
Lincoln Team 01522 573784
Boston Team 01205 445702
Rolling orders
If your child is going to need supplies long term, it may be possible to have a rolling order for regularly used items. This will ensure enough stock is received in a timely way. This should be discussed with your child’s Community Nurse.
Delivery
In most cases, new equipment will be delivered and demonstrated to you by your child’s Community Nurse, however, consumable supplies will be ordered by the Community Nurse and delivered to your GP surgery. The GP surgery will contact you when there are packages ready for collection. Supplies should be collected as soon as possible as there is limited storage space in the GP surgery and they will be returned if not collected within a week or have made contact with the surgery with a collection date.
Stock levels
It is parent’s/carer’s responsibility to maintain stock levels and give sufficient notice to your Community Nurse for required supplies. Some supplies can take up to 6 weeks to arrive. Please be mindful of this and ensure your Community Nurse is notified as soon as possible if your stock supplies are running low. Please note: the Community Nurses only have minimal stock for standard items and may not have your items available at short notice.
If you have too much stock, your order needs amending or your child no longer requires the supplies, please contact your Community Nurse who can adjust the quantities/frequency of your deliveries.
Your Community Nurse will work with you to review your stock levels in order to avoid stock piling and wastage.
Supplies should be kept in a clean, dry and safe environment and out of the reach of children and pets. Expiry dates should be checked prior to use and products used in date order to prevent wastage.
Your Community Nurse will advise you on manufacturer’s guidelines and replacement times for items such as ventilator circuits, filters and dressings.
Medicines
Your Community Nurse is not able to prescribe medication. Please contact your child’s GP if necessary. Unwanted medications should be returned to your local community pharmacy for disposal.
The ordering process
- The Children’s Community Nurse will visit and assess your child’s needs.
- The Children’s Community Nurse will complete the supplies order request and seek authorisation from the budget holder. The Supplies Co-ordinator then places the order.
- The supplies arrive at Grantham District Hospital for sorting and re-packing for distribution across the county.
- The boxes are distributed across Lincolnshire to the GP surgeries via ULHT Courier Service.
- Once the boxes arrive at your child’s GP surgery, the receptionist should contact you to make you aware that supplies are awaiting collection. If you are awaiting supplies and have not had contact from the surgery, please make contact.
- Once collected, please unpack and check that your child’s supplies are correct. Please ensure they are stored correctly and used in date order to prevent wastage.
NRS Healthcare equipment
Patients that have obtained equipment through NRS Healthcare, such as Suction Machines, should contact NRS Healthcare direct to place an order for replacement consumables, such as suction unit filters and tubing. This will ensure correct products to be used for the equipment provided. The Supplies will be delivered to the patient’s home. Your Community Nurse will be able to advise you further on this.
NRS Healthcare can be contacted on 0345 121 2031.
Dietetic/feeding equipment
Children who receive products relating to feeding will receive their Enteral feeding syringes via your child’s dietician.
Only medication syringes for those children with an Enteral feeding device will be provided by the Children’s Community Nursing Team.