263 The good, the bad and the future: Families’ views on the Royal Brompton Hospital (RBH) paediatric cystic fibrosis (CF) homecare service.

Objective To investigate user satisfaction of the paediatric CF homecare service (Nursing and Physiotherapy) and identify areas for improvement. Method 307 paediatric CF families were sent an anonymous semi-structured postal questionnaire, irrespective of whether they had accessed the homecare service. Results 35% response rate (108/307), Age range 4 months to 16 years. Overall satisfaction: 72% scored the service 8–10/10 (59% 10/10), 21% had not received homecare input. The service excelled at communication, school/nursery education and timing of visits (frequency – mainly as required – and length – averaging 64 minutes per visit). Improvements are required to raise the profile of the service – 10% were unaware of the homecare service. Geographical location of patients’ homes restricted visits from the nursing service. Other CF team members requested to visit at home: 10% Psychology and 9% Dietitians. Improvements: Raising service profile: information leaflets were produced for outpatients and the trust website. Geographical boundaries for nursing-led visits were removed. A dedicated dietetic paediatric CF homecare post was created and psychology input into the homecare environment was increased. The physiotherapy team expanded ensuring all newly diagnosed families are reviewed at home within 1 month and the number of families reviewed annually increased from 37% to 55%. Conclusion The RBH CF homecare team deliver a service that is well valued and achieves a high satisfaction rating – highlighting the importance families’ place on a homecare service for communication, expert knowledge, support and understanding in an environment that minimises disruption to daily life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]