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Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy: RFL
NCL Wide
Under Review — this page was due to be reviewed
by Friday, 31 May 2024. The information shown here may be outdated.
Referring clinicians should look for the closest available OPAT team.
The Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) service at Royal Free London (RFL) aims to facilitate the early and safe discharge of patients who are clinically stable and require short to long-term intravenous antibiotic therapy.
The OPAT team offers patient or community nurse administration of intravenous therapy via an appropriate access device.
This is inserted by the nurse-led vascular access team. The team routinely uses Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters (PICC) lines (long term and can stay in for up to 12 months) and Midlines (short-term lines and can stay in for 4-6 weeks).
Other services available are:
- patient assessment
- patient training to self-administer IV antibiotics
- advice on adverse side effects
- weekly blood monitoring to drug response with appropriate intervention
- weekly Vascular Access Device care and maintenance
- administration of IV antibiotics for daily attenders of the OPAT nurse clinics
- monitoring patients on long-term oral antibiotics.
Contact the teams via the details below:
Royal Free Hospital: Vascular Access & OPAT Service
t: 020 7794 0500 ext. 22563/22561; bleep 1960 or 4020
e: rfh-tr.rfh-opats@nhs.net
Barnet and Chase Farm Hospital: OPAT Service
t: 020 8216 4600 bleep 2774
e: rf-tr.barnet-opats@nhs.net
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusions
Patient groups include those with acute or chronic infection such as:
- endocarditis
- osteomyelitis
- cellulitis
- skin or soft tissue infections
- infections with resistant organisms for which there are no oral antibiotic options.
Exclusions
- paediatric patients.
How to Refer
EMIS form
Referral methods: Email
Complete the Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy - RFH form and email to:
Royal Free Hospital: rfh-tr.rfh-opats@nhs.net
Barnet and Chase Hospital: rf-tr.barnet-opats@nhs.net
Where to find the form
- Barnet: BAR Global Documents folder > Referrals Forms (BAR Global)
- Camden: Camden Global Documents > Infectious Disease
- Enfield: ENF Global Documents folder > Infectious Disease
- Haringey: HAR Global Documents > Infectious Disease
- Islington: ISL Global Documents > Infectious Disease
Locations
Royal Free Hospital
Barnet and Chase Farm Hospital
Resources
Related Services
Outpatient Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT/COpAT): WH
OPAT/COpAT provides antimicrobials/virals/fungals in the outpatient or community setting IslingtonHaringeyOutpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy: UCLH
OPAT facilitates and provides intravenous antimicrobials for a range of infections in an outpatient or community setting NCL WideRapid Access Infectious Diseases Clinic: Hospital for Tropical Diseases
RAID clinic for patients with suspected or confirmed acute infections, at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases NCL WideRelated Topics View All
Infectious Outbreaks & Tropical Diseases
Information about infectious and tropical disease services across NCLSepsis
Review date: Friday, 31 May 2024