Eighty-one year old bride Joyce Davis of St Owen's Cross will get to her wedding on time thanks to a new service from the Wye Valley NHS Trust. Joyce was busy making final arrangements for her wedding to her fiancé Tony, an 80 year old former import buyer whom she met three years ago, due to take place at the Pengethely Manor Hotel, on Wednesday, September 7th, when she developed an infection in her hip. It was suggested that she needed to go into hospital for intravenous antibiotic treatment, resulting in a potentially lengthy stay in the County Hospital, which would have meant her wedding would have been postponed.

Because Joyce was determined to walk down the aisle, rather than the hospital corridor on her big day, she and her doctor opted to put forward for a new IV treatment which she could receive at home. "When I was told I had to go to hospital for my treatment my heart sank, and so I asked the doctor why I couldn't just have my drip at home. As soon as it was sorted, the nurses came to my door with the treatment; it was like a home delivery service.

It was only recently that the Wye Valley NHS Trust has recently began a Community Intravenous Antibiotics Service which supports patient choice, avoids hospital admission, and improves patient recovery times. The service has been put into place by giving district nurses and community staff the right training to provide care that in the past could only be provided in the County Hospital.

"It's so much less stressful being at home. Tony can be with me, and can cook my meals. Care at home is simply fantastic and all the staff have been wonderful, but it also means that I can get to the wedding and down the aisle, even if it will be with a walking stick."

For patents and their carers the new system allows more involvement in the decision making and choices about them.

For Joyce this has meant that her Consultant Orthopaedic surgeon and her G.P have been able to coordinate her care with her treatment being administered once a day by the district nurses from the local neighbourhood team. A personalised care package has been built around Joyce's needs and preferences and in her case means she will not be late for her big day.