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Clinical Homecare Practice Standards, Guidelines & Procedures

Click on the documents below to download:

Homecare Services Professional Standards (Royal College of Pharmacy)

    General Data Protection Regulations in Homecare

    This document considers the impact of GDPR on patient data only; for the purposes of this paper, patient data includes personal information about the patient’s friends, family and carers and the term patient data also includes the personal information of the patient’s carer(s). It is noted that GDPR also applies to the personal data of homecare provider’s employees, but this aspect is out of scope, except where employees are identified within the patient records.  This document and FAQs have been developed in conjunction with NCHA, NHS and regulators to ensure a consistent understanding of the lawful bases of data processing in clinical and medicines homecare services.


    Environmental and Sustainability

      Operational Challenges and NCHA Business Continuity Plan

      The NCHA Business Continuity Plan was commissioned by the NCHA Board to ensure a consistent approach to unusual circumstances that are or have the potential to impact patient safety and mitigation actions required exceed the capabilities of the individual NCHA Member organisation(s). Separate NCHA Best Practice Guidance – Managing Operational Challenges to maintain Patient Safety relates to Homecare Organisations who are experiencing exceptional operational stresses that can be managed within the local organisation(s) and therefore do not meet the criteria for NCHA Business Continuity Plan.

      NCHA Clinical and Medicines Homecare Services Business Continuity Plan – 5th March 2026

      The NCHA Business Continuity Plan considers the impact of an emergency situation whether this be experienced by an individual organisation or due to external factor impacting the entire industry. The NCHA Business Continuity Plan process ensures all the resources of NCHA Members are made available to minimise harm to Patients within clear channels of communication and defined responsibilities.

      NCHA Best Practice Guidance – Managing Operational Challenges to maintain Patient Safety
      The Managing Operational Challenges Guidance includes short term operational strategies that can be implemented to maintain patient safety until business as usual can be restored. It is expected that the operational strategies outlined in this guidance have been implemented or at minimum considered and deemed insufficient prior to enacting this NCHA Business Continuity Plan. This document provides further guidance, building on and replacing the NCHA Position statement: Impact of External and Internal Factors on Homecare Providers and Service Variations from November 2022.

      Medicines Supply Disruptions

      This guide has been developed jointly by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England to detail the national, regional and local management and escalation processes and communication routes for medicines supply issues in England.
      Operational Guidance for Homecare Providers.

       

      Operational Guidance for Homecare Providers

      As homecare services are often part of complex clinical pathways there are homecare medicines pathways or individual patient care plans that are not fully aligned with the Summary of Product Characteristics. This document considers the dispensing and administration of medicines in clinical homecare services where the clinical pathway does not follow that envisaged by the manufacturer and regulator as stated in the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC). Throughout this document the term unlicensed refers to unlicensed medicines and off-label use of licensed medicines.

      A Clinical Homecare Keyholding Service means the delivery driver or other homecare staff have access to a key safe or similar to provide a clinical homecare service. It is often necessary for homecare staff to enter a patient’s home. In the vast majority of cases, the patient or carer will be able to consent to each entry by opening the door and inviting the homecare staff into their home. This guidance covers the exceptional circumstances when it is appropriate for homecare staff to gain unaccompanied access to a patient’s home or other private residence to make deliveries, rotate stock and/or remove waste. It is referenced in the RPS Homecare Handbook section 2.2 Operational Guidance for Running a Homecare Service.

      This guidance sets out the expectation on Homecare Providers preparing for adverse weather conditions that will impact their normal delivery services. It is referenced in the RPS Homecare Handbook section 2.2 Operational Guidance for Running a Homecare Service.

      This guidance supports the successfully delivery of remote self-administration training consultations to Homecare patients and, where appropriate, to their carers. Using technology most Clinical Homecare Organisations can successfully deliver patient training remotely to enable Patients receiving a wide range of therapies to understand and independently self-administer[1] their homecare treatments safely and effectively.

      (Version 2.0: NCHA approved 7 Feb 2025, adopted by NHMC 4 March 2025)

      Note: The above guidance has been reviewed and adopted by NHMC in March 2025. The target date for implementation of this guidance as agreed with NHMC is from 1st April 2025. As this guidance is adopted as the best practice standard by NHMC, it is expected that any exceptions to this process must be risk assessed, documented, and approved locally by each NHS organisation.

      The Homecare Provider will provide an Invoice Reconciliation Report that provides information relating to each delivery alongside the related Purchase Order (P.O.) number on the invoice for effective and efficient validation. This is in place of the historical practices including provision of a “proof of delivery” (POD) document alongside each delivery specific homecare invoice.

      FAQ relating to this guidance are provided below.

      (Version 1.0: NCHA 7 Feb 2025, adopted by NHMC 4 March 2025)

      This standard Invoice Reconciliation Report template supports the Best Practice Guidance: Evidence of Service Delivery to Support Clinical and Medicines Homecare Service Invoices

      Best Practice Guidance Frequently Asked Questions

      Evidence of Service Delivery to Support Clinical and Medicines Homecare Services Invoices: Frequently Asked Questions

      (Version 1.0: NCHA 7 Feb 2025, adopted by NHMC 4 March 2025)

      Answers to Frequently Asked Questions relating to the Best Practice Guidance: Evidence of Service Delivery to Support Clinical and Medicines Homecare Services Invoices (link) are provided. NHS colleagues requiring further support should discuss implementation of this guidance with their Regional Homecare Specialist who will be able to provide assistance and support.

       

      NHS Funded Homecare Services and National Homecare Medicines Committee

       

      Manufacturer Funded Homecare Services


      The Hackett Report

      NCHA Prescription E-Signature Hub (RxESH) (for more information click here)