Our Services

Adult Community Health Services

Night Response (out of hours community nursing)

The night response team are a team of experienced registered nurses who visit people at home when they have an unplanned nursing or health need in the evening and during the night when other services are not accessible. 

We also work closely with the out of hours GP, Surrey County Council and Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice to undertake visits to patients with unplanned or short term planned care needs, enabling us to work in an integrated way during the night. 

Why might I need this service?

To receive this service, you must have an urgent short term health and/or social care need, which may either prevent admission into either a hospital or care home, or facilitate discharge from hospital.

The night response service aims to provide local people with an alternative to hospital care to support people in remaining as independent as possible in their own home environment. We also pride ourselves on supporting people to be able to die at home in their preferred place of care.

Examples of why you would need a visit from our night response service include:

  • Urgent catheter care (indwelling urinary catheter care)

  • Urgent continence care, including personal care

  • Essential nursing care and treatment including injections, medication, wound care

  • Palliative care at end of life

  • Support and reassurance to families/carers in difficult situations

  • Support following recent hospital discharge

  • Short term planned visits for social care

Can anyone access the Night Response team?

To access the night response service you may already be known to the day district nursing/community matron/specialist nursing or intermediate care team and will have our contact number.

Alternatively you may be referred to the team via the out of hours GP, Emergency Department or Ambulance Service.

The service is for adults (aged over 18) registered with a GP in Guildford and Waverley, Farnham and Surrey Heath.

Will the Night Response team visit me at home?

When you are referred to the night response service or you contact the team by phone, we will ask some questions to decide how urgent your needs are.

We may give advice over the phone, refer to the day district nursing team for a visit the following day or decide that you need a visit from a nurse at night.

When is the Night Response team available?

The night response nursing service operates between 8pm and 8am every night of the year.