Home Ventilation Service

The Home Ventilation Service helps children across the region whose long-term and complex health problems mean they need medical support to breathe. The team cares for patients who require both non-invasive and invasive (tracheostomy) ventilation, and their families.

The service provides long-term ventilation support both in hospital and in the community, giving families continuity during what can be a long and stressful hospital admission followed by many years of home care.

The team aims to get patients home as soon as possible and support them to remain there as long as it is safe to do so, through co-ordination of care, teaching and care planning.

Continuing support is given through outpatient appointments, sleep studies, home visits and telephone support. Families are taught how to care for their child on ventilation, giving them control while supporting them as needed.

Home ventilation nurses

Our nurses are based within the Community Nursing team at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, supporting families by working closely with colleagues in the community, hospitals, hospices and other specialist centres.

These roles enable children and young people with complex health conditions to receive care in their own homes, reducing the time they have to spend in hospital by arranging and co-ordinating the care needed for children and young people to live at home and providing emotional and practical support for the whole family.

Training to ensure the child can be safely cared for at home and in the wider community is also an important part of our role and we work with anyone involved in a patient’s care to ensure they have the skills and confidence needed.