Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy (OPAT) Service
The Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy (OPAT) Team provides a specialised service that facilitates the early discharge of medically stable patients who remain hospitalised solely for the administration of intravenous antibiotics.
All OPAT patients receive ongoing, comprehensive medical oversight from a multidisciplinary team to ensure the safety and effectiveness of their treatment. This service has consistently demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing hospital length of stay, supporting early discharges, and enhancing patient experiences.
By enabling patients to receive IV antibiotics at home or in an outpatient setting rather than in the hospital, OPAT not only improves quality of life but also minimises the risk of hospital-acquired infections. Patient feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting benefits such as the ability to receive treatment in a familiar environment, the ability to return to work, and receive expert care and support from the OPAT team.
OPAT Service Homerton University Hospital from BSAC on Vimeo. Here, one of our patients talks about her experience of our OPAT service on this video produced by Homerton University Hospital and published by the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC).
Exclusion/inclusion criteria
- Adult patients only
- No history of IVDU / Methadone maintenance
- Appropriate antimicrobial therapy that can be delivered in the outpatient/community setting safely.
- Must meet suitability criteria, see referral form.
Referrals to the service are completed using the OPAT Request form.docx which should be emailed to Huh-tr.opatandvascularaccess@nhs.net three working days before planned discharge.
Borough finder: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council
OPAT_RLH referral diagram April 22.pdf
Please contact the OPAT Clinical Nurse Specialist for any concerns/queries, 020 8510 5555 and ask the operator to bleep 420.
Monday – Friday: 9am - 5pm (excluding Bank Holidays)