OPAT is a service that provides intravenous (IV) antibiotics to treat infections in an outpatient or community setting. This approach offers a safe and effective alternative to inpatient care for patients who are medically stable but still require IV antibiotic therapy.
The OPAT service provides:
- Outpatient care: Patients receive IV antibiotics without needing to stay in the hospital.
- Community setting: Treatment can be administered at home by community nurses or at outpatient clinics. We do often train patients, where appropriate, to administer the treatment themselves, after a period of training.
- Daily monitoring: Patients can be seen daily by the OPAT team to ensure the treatment is effective and to monitor for any side effects.
How the service works:
- Consultation: If you need short to long-term antibiotic treatment, your doctor will consult with an infectious diseases specialist to determine if OPAT is suitable for you. If OPAT is deemed appropriate, an OPAT specialist nurse will discuss the service with you in detail, explaining how the treatment will be administered and what to expect.
- Treatment: You will receive your IV antibiotics either at home or in an outpatient setting, with regular visits from the OPAT team or community nurses to monitor your progress and adjust treatment as necessary.
Other contact information
- Internal UCLH services can make referrals by email to uclh.OPATatHTD@nhs.net
- GP referrals via RAID: GPs can also refer patients through the Rapid Access Infectious Diseases (RAID) service.
