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Posted on 8 Oct 2024

Nottinghamshire Healthcare’s Complex Health Needs team, caring for children at Oak Field Special School, recently supported their first patient to graduate. This is the first graduation since the team was formed in 2012 and was a huge achievement for the team and the young person. As a team they are immensely proud of her. 

The Complex Health Needs team are nurses and nursing assistants who provide one to one health support for children and young people with profound and complex learning needs within Oak Field School.  

Antoinette has endured extremely difficult and traumatic events within her life. At three years old she contracted influenza causing necrotising encephalopathy (where areas of the brain are damaged). This left her with cerebral palsy, severe epilepsy and respiratory needs. Antionette became very dependent on her mum for lifelong care.  

As Antoinette grew her health needs deteriorated and she required more support, this led to Antoinette transferring to the Complex Health Needs team as she was requiring specialist nursing and one to one care. 

The aim of the service is to deliver high level health support within the school setting to focus on reducing the number of days absent from school, reduce hospital admissions, and support children and young people to access education and supporting them to fulfil their potential.

 

Amy Eagle, Care Group Director for Community services said:

“I’m really proud of the team, they work really hard to provide outstanding care to our patients with complex needs, and it is fantastic to hear they have been able to help Antoinette to graduate from school. 

“I’m really proud of the young person too, she must have worked so hard for this with so much to overcome. We all wish her well for the future.”

The team carry out routine and unplanned clinical interventions including; administration of medication, wound care, enteral feeding, continence support, respiratory and tracheostomy care, postural and physiotherapy support, oral suction, and nasal suction.

Antoinette’s mum Betsey is very grateful for the care given not only to her daughter, but to herself during her time with the Complex Health team. The team have offered excellent health support that have given the family much needed emotional and personal support. “I always felt like I had someone to contact and someone to talk to. A true extension of the family and I will feel lost without the support of the team.”

Nicola Jones-Hill, Senior Complex Health Needs Nurse said: “Antoinette is a beautiful loving young lady who has an amazing sassy personality. As a team we are immensely proud of her, we wish her well on her new journey and she will be missed by all.”

The complex health team ensures their case load of children are able to access their education whilst maintaining their medical care to keep them as well as they can be.