“Safe, expert care – right at home.”
This page is to outline the UCLH Hospital@Home Service provided by UCLH (University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust), in partnership with Whittington Health NHS Trust. This service is available for patients living in Camden, Islington, Haringey, Enfield, Barnet and Westminster.
The UCLH Hospital@Home Step-Up Sickle Cell Pathway allows patients with sickle cell disorder, who are under UCLH care, to receive safe and effective treatment in the comfort of their own home.
It is designed for patients who are having a sickle cell acute (short term) pain episode or crisis but are well enough to be managed at home with close clinical support from our specialist teams.
This pathway is available only for UCLH-registered sickle cell patients who:
- have new, or moderate sickle cell pain
- do not require oxygen therapy
- may need antibiotics or stronger pain medication
- may need supervision for self-administered injections (like blood thinners or EPO)
1. Contact the Red Cell Team
If you’re experiencing a painful crisis at home, contact the Red Cell Community Team or your UCLH Red Cell Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS).
2. Assessment
The Red Cell Team will review your symptoms and, if suitable, discuss your care plan with the UCLH Hospital@Home Nurse in Charge.
A UCLH doctor (Red Cell Consultant or Registrar) will also be involved in the decision.
3. Starting your care at home
Once accepted, the UCLH Hospital@Home team will visit you at home.
- You may receive up to three visits a day, plus an optional telephone check.
- Your pain score and any side effects from medicines will be monitored daily.
4. Pain Monitoring Plan
- Pain score 0–2: clinical care and monitoring supported through the UCLH Hospital@Home pathway.
- Pain score 3–4: The UCLH Hospital@Home team will liaise with the Red Cell on-call team for further clinical guidance, with a possible outcome of hospital attendance.
5. If your condition worsens
If you become unwell or your symptoms get worse, the UCLH Hospital@Home team may:
- call 999 for urgent transfer to hospital, and
- inform the Community or UCLH CNS team (only available 9am–5pm, Monday to Friday).
6. When you’re feeling better
Once your pain score is below 4 or if pain is at your baseline level (if you suffer from chronic pain), you’ll be discharged from UCLH Hospital@Home. You may then be referred to the NCL Community Red Cell Service for ongoing support and follow-up.
You will not be eligible for home treatment if you have:
- Severe or uncontrolled acute pain (pain score 3 or above)
- High pulse rate (>100 bpm)
- Low oxygen (SpO₂ ≤94% on room air) Or fall in SpO2 of 3% or more from baseline steady state values
- Fever equal to or above 38 degrees
- New oxygen requirement
- Chest pain or breathing difficulty
- Persistent priapism (lasting >30 minutes)
- Uncontrolled Vomiting, diarrhoea, or shaking
- Drowsiness or need injectable opioid analgesia
In these cases, you’ll need to be assessed and treated in hospital.
A team of highly skilled qualified nurses will be visiting you in your home for the period of your treatment. This could be more than once a day, depending on your care needs.
The UCLH Hospital@Home service is led by a clinical team and includes:
- UCLH Hospital@Home Consultant Lead
- UCLH Hospital@Home Specialty Consultants
- Specialist nurses
- Pharmacist
- Clinical operations staff
- Support from your Red Cell Team
- Receive high-quality hospital care without leaving home
- Stay in a familiar, comfortable environment
- Regular monitoring and direct contact with hospital specialists
- Reduced hospital admissions and faster recovery
The clinical/consultant team will decide that the UCLH Hospital@Home care is completed once your medical needs have been met. At this point, you will no longer receive visits from UCLH Hospital@Home and will be formally discharged from UCLH to the care of the local doctor (GP).
If you need any further care from community NHS services, or from social services, the UCLH Hospital@Home team will arrange this.
You won’t need to pay for the care provided; this is an NHS service facilitated by UCLH.
Main contact number for help/support:
Red Cell Community Team
Telephone: 020 3316 8853
Email: ncl.
Between 09:00am and 05:00pm
Monday to Friday
UCLH Red Cell Clinical Nurse Specialist
Telephone: 020 3447 7359
Email: Uclh.redcell.cnsteam@nhs.net
Between 5pm to 9am
Monday to Sunday and Bank Holidays
UCLH Hospital @ Home
Telephone: 07432 521 849
Email: whh-tr.
Between 08:00am and 08:00pm
Monday to Friday
If you have a question, comment or concern please contact our PALS team on 0203 456 7890, ext 73002 or ext 73018, or email UCLH.
If you need a large print, audio or translated copy of this document, please contact us on 020 3447 3042.
Page last updated: 05 May 2026
Review due: 01 May 2028