Home Intravenous (IV) therapy service

IV therapy is medication given intravenously (through the veins) straight into the bloodstream. Home IV therapy is essentially intravenous medicine taken at home.

If you are receiving IV therapy at home, then a nurse will teach you (or your carer) how to safely manage the IV line and self-administer the medication. 

The medicine is given into a vein through a small narrow flexible tube called a catheter or IV line. The IV line is inserted directly into a vein using a needle. The needle is removed, and the IV line is left in place and secured by a dressing.  

There are different types of IV lines available and the one chosen for your treatment will depend on your veins and how long you will need the medicines for. You will be given further information about the IV line used in your treatment and how to care for it by a specialist nurse. You will also be given a plan for what to do if there are any issues with the IV line.

To determine whether Home IV therapy is the best course of treatment for you, you will have a consultation and assessment with your care team to discuss your options and next steps.

The process will be explained to you fully so you can decide whether you would like to proceed with this treatment. If you decide to proceed then arrangements will be made to start training and treatment as soon as possible.

No, you can choose between Home IV therapy and having your treatment in hospital and you will not be discharged onto the Home IV therapy service if you do not wish to be. If you choose not to go onto the service, we will discuss alternative options for your treatment with you.

Home IV therapy allows you to be at home, in a comfortable and familiar setting rather than in the hospital. It can also help you save time and money on travel and help you maintain your independence, be back with your family and friends or even return to work.

Feedback has shown that patients would choose Home IV again rather than have a prolonged hospital stay.

The service will be tailored to your needs. Some patients choose to self-administer the medicine, or alternatively a family member or friend can take on this role. If you decide to go ahead with either of these options, then you or your family member or friend will be taught how to do this by the nursing team. 

When you visit the hospital, your nurse will teach you how to deliver medication through an IV line. You will be given plenty of time to ask questions and practise giving the medication. You will also be asked to sign a form accepting responsibility for continuing the treatment at home.

It is very important that you know how to deliver medication through an IV line. This is to prevent any problems with the line so it can stay in place and continue to work properly for the whole time you need it.

For more detailed information on what will happen when you visit the hospital for training, please read our Home IV therapy service leaflet. 

Your doctor will explain how long you will need treatment for. You may require only a few days of Home IV treatment or several weeks or months, depending on the nature of the infection or disease. During your IV therapy you will be under the supervision of our specialist teams, who will review your progress each week.

You may be required to have some blood tests to ensure that you are responding to treatment and that the IV line is maintained appropriately. Your team will let you know when these will take place and where you will need to go to have these done.

You will be provided with a small supply of IV medications when you leave hospital. The remainder will be provided by a homecare company (Baxter Healthcare) and not your GP. The hospital team will be responsible for your IV prescriptions. If you, a family member or friend is administering the medication, or you need any additional supplies that the please contact the specialist nurse (details below).  

If you feel unwell while having Home IV treatment or you develop new symptoms, stop the medication and contact your healthcare team for advice (details below).

New symptoms could include:

• a headache
• temperature
• fever or shivering
• flushing (warmth and rapid reddening of your neck, upper chest, or face)
• feeling sick (nausea) or vomiting
• mild wheezing
• chest pain
• a rash
• pins or needles or tingling of lips. 

If you have severe symptoms such as:

• swelling of the lips or tongue
• bluish discoloration of the lips, fingers or toes
• wheezing, difficulty breathing or swallowing
• or you collapse

Stop taking the medication immediately. Dial 999 and ask for an ambulance. Say that the emergency is ‘anaphylaxis’ (severe allergic reaction).

Please remember: Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals do not have accident and emergency (A&E) departments.