Home Visit Service

• Patients must be housebound due to ill health or have impaired mobility; be unable to manage everyday tasks such as grocery and shopping errands; and have no support person to provide transport to a collection centre to be eligible for a home visit.
• A request for a home visit must be made by the referring medical practitioner or nurse practitioner not the patient, their caregiver or relative.
• Any changes to a home visit request must be communicated to us by the referring medical practitioner or nurse practitioner not the patient / caregiver or relative.
• Bookings are restricted to patients living within a 20km radius of the nearest Awanui Labs collection centre (Nelson / Marlborough). 
• Bookings will not be accepted for patients requiring restraint unless assistance is available.
• Booking will only be accepted to a maximum of four (4) weeks only unless the patient is defined as permanently housebound.

Notification:

• Because the schedule is not completed until the morning of, and may be disrupted by urgent requirements, it is not possible to provide users of the service with the probable visit time.  As the patients are – by definition – housebound, this should not be a cause of concern.

• If the patient is not home when we call, they will be left a leaflet asking them to come in to a Patient Services Centre.
• Patients or caregivers should inform their referring medical practitioner or nurse practitioner as soon as possible if circumstances change that could affect their eligibility for a home visit e.g. patient admitted to hospital etc.
• The medical practitioner or nurse practitioner must contact Awanui Labs as soon as possible should there be any changes to their patient’s requirements.
• Patients who are considered to no longer require home visits will be discharged from the service after consultation with the referrer.
• Cancellations: please advise the service if a regular/booked patient is hospitalised or unavailable for some other reason

• We require a rest home staff member to be available to assist with identification as many patients are unable to self-identify. The rest home visit will not proceed if the Phlebotomist is not able to positively identify the patient.
• Rest homes in Nelson are allocated a particular day of the week for routine testing.

• Patients must ensure that all pets are restrained and that the mobile Phlebotomist can safely gain access to the patient’s home.
• A notification letter will be sent to the referrer if a patient is not home at the time of a visit, to confirm that home visits are still required for the patient.
• The home visit will not proceed if the Phlebotomist is not able to positively identify the patient
• Patients who are unable to effectively communicate their identification, e.g. non-English speaking, must provide photo ID or have a support person present who can provide identification

• Requests for a home visit must be made by the referring medical practitioner or nurse practitioner not the patient, caregiver or relative.
• The home visit request form must not be given to the patient to present.
• Please make requests for a home visit at least 24 hours in advance of the requested booking day (Tuesday to Friday). Requests for a Monday must be made by 5pm on the preceding Thursday to allow for scheduling.
• Please indicate on the request for home visit form if there are any particular specifications with regard to the testing e.g. fasting or drug levels.
• Home visit requests for the Nelson region should be sent through as an electronic order by ticking the home visit box on the e-order form, if this currently not possible you can fill in the Home Visit Request Form and email to: nelson.reception@awanuilabs.co.nz. Note: please use Home visit as the subject.

Urgent Requests:

• Please call our Home Visit Coordinator on 03 546 1632.  Feel free to leave us a message on this phone as it is checked multiple times a day.
• Note: such requests must be clinically urgent.

Home Visit Hours of Service Nelson:

• Monday to Friday (excluding Public Holidays) 8.00am – 4.00pm.
• It is not possible to arrange a set time for home visits. As home visit patients are, by definition, housebound this should not be a cause for concern.

• Requests for a home visit must be made by the referring medical practitioner or nurse practitioner not the patient, caregiver or relative.
• The home visit request form must not be given to the patient to present.
• Please make requests for a home visit at least 24 hours in advance of the requested booking day (Tuesday to Friday). Requests for a Monday must be made by 5pm on the preceding Thursday to allow for scheduling.
• Please indicate on the request for home visit form if there are any particular specifications with regard to the testing e.g. fasting or drug levels.
• Fill in the Home Visit Request Form and email to: MLS.marlborough.reception@medlabsouth.co.nz. Note: please use Home visit as the subject.

Urgent Requests:

• Please call our Home Visit Coordinator on 03 520 9916.
• Note: such requests must be clinically urgent.

Home Visit Hours of Service Blenheim:

• Mondays and Fridays (excluding Public Holidays) 8.00am – 12.00pm.
• Tuesdays and Thursdays 9.30am – 12.00pm.
• Wednesdays 10.30am – 12.00pm
• It is not possible to arrange a set time for home visits. As home visit patients are, by definition, housebound this should not be a cause for concern.