Children's home nursing: results of a national survey.

A questionnaire survey was undertaken to establish the characteristics of children's home nursing teams in the UK that deal with acute and chronic cases, to assess their impact on hospital referrals and determine whether they are cost effective. The sample consisted of acute and community trusts listed on the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) database. Differences were found in trust affiliation, staffing, skill mix, caseload, procedures undertaken and hours of operation.