Home Visits a User Guide

The Oaks Medical Practice offer home visits to provide treatment at home for those whose medical condition prevents attending the surgery.

Each Home visit takes on average 20 to 30 minutes when you allow for the time to drive to your house and back. In this same time a Doctor in a surgery could see perhaps 4 patients. For this reason we ask that you only ask for a home visit where it is appropriate.

When is a home visit appropriate?
•	Patients whose mobility is severely restricted due to their medical condition and as a result of which they cannot leave the house.
•	Patients who are extremely Short of breath or in great pain.
•	The elderly infirm who are frail and house bound.

When is a home visit inappropriate
•	Usually any child should be brought or carried to surgery. There is no truth in the myth that it is bad to take an ill child out in the cold. It does them no harm.
•	It is wrong to ask for a home visit because you are “waiting for a plumber” or because it is snowing or because you do not want to wait in the waiting room. In other words for non medical reasons.
•	Lack of transport is not a reason for a home visit. Use a taxi, bus,  Ring and Ride or else call a relative. If you can walk as far as the road outside your house then a home visit is inappropriate. If a relative or friend usually takes you shopping in their car then it is reasonable for them to bring you to the Dr.
•	Age alone (young or old) is not a reason for a Home Visit if you are actually mobile.

So before you ask for a visit in future think:
1. Does my medical condition alone mean I need a visit?
2. Can I get as far as the road outside my house?
If so I can call a taxi, Ring and Ride or take a bus.
3. Do I have a relative or friend who could drive me to the surgery.

Call your surgery to arrange a visit if it is needed.(Kings Rd 360-7360)(Streetly 353-1888)(Old Oscott Lane 360-2183)
The receptionist will ask you some questions about the reason for the visit.
A doctor or nurse might call you to confirm details and to discuss the need for a visit.
For details of how to get to the surgery see below:

Bus Routes

To Kings Rd
Number 996 every 10 minutes goes Straight up Kingstanding Rd. Change at the Circle for the 451.
Number 451 from New Oscott to Scott Arms via Kings Rd every 10 minutes

To Streetly
Number 113 from The Hardwick arms to The Beggars Bush (New Oscott) every 20 minutes.
Number 377 up Bakers lane, along Chester Rd, Bridle Lane , Blackwood rd and Foley Rd West every 20 minutes

To Old Oscott Lane
Number 28 goes from Hawthorn Rd, along Dyas Rd to the Beeches estate.

Ring and Ride
Provide minibus type transport that you have to book in advance (usually a couple of days). 
North Birmingham Branch 0121-333-3108

Local Taxi Firms
You would expect to pay £4 to £5 for a taxi to the surgery dependant on the distance. 
Kingstanding and Erdington Cars, Hawthorn Rd 0121-373-2244
Star, Chester Rd 0121-373-1111

Home Visits will always be available for those with a genuine need who cannot get to the surgery because of their medical condition.

We ask our patients to use the service responsibly so the Drs can make the best use of the time available to them to treat all our patients both in surgery and at home. 

Thank you for your cooperation.