Outpatient Antibiotic Therapy (OPAT) has been introduced at the Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) at the Vale of Leven Hospital (VoLH).
OPAT is a well-established service run by the Infectious Diseases team that has been across NHSGGC for around 25 years and currently based at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH). In collaboration, the VoLH is able to offer this service in the community.
This means that patients who are not critically unwell with infections, such as cellulitis and urinary tract infection, but who require intravenous antibiotics can come to the VoLH MAU on a daily basis to receive their antibiotics.
Fiona Ross, Speciality Doctor at VoLH, said: “For more mobile and well patients, it means they don’t have to stay in hospital 24/7.
“This means it interferes less with their daily lives, and some can even continue working. It also reduces their risk of developing hospital-acquired infections and maximises their independence.”
Some patients, especially when they are frailer, can become ‘deconditioned’ from even a short hospital stay of a few days. They lose some of their muscle mass and mobility because in hospital they can’t do things they would at home, like moving more regularly to get cups of tea or dinner.
Fiona added: “If we encourage their independence by having them lead their normal lives, we try to keep people as independent and strong as possible in the longer term.”
Andrew Seaton, a Consultant in Infectious Diseases and General Medicine and Chair of the Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing group in Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said: “This is a really important development for the community who often are unable to access the QEUH based service. The QEUH based team are looking forward to supporting colleagues in this new development.”
