The Supportive and Palliative Care Team
Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing problems associated with life threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.
What does the Supportive and Palliative Care Team (SPCT) do?
The SPCT gives specialist care and information to people facing serious illness and life limiting conditions.
We recognise that emotional, spiritual, family and financial worries may be as important to you as physical problems.
We work closely with the hospital doctors and nurses to support you, your partner, family and friends.
We will offer specialist advice and guidance to the doctors, nurses and other health and social care professionals involved in your care.
The Specialist Palliative Care Team has daily (Mon – Fri) ward rounds and patient reviews. There is member of the team in the hospital 7 days a week.
All the members of the Specialist Palliative Care Team meet once a week at a multidisciplinary team meeting to discuss and review your plan of care.
We will usually see you on the hospital ward, but we might also see you in the outpatient department.
Who is in the palliative care team?
We are a team of:
- Clinical nurse specialists
- Occupational Therapist
- Doctors
- Pastoral care
We work with local hospices and Community Palliative Care Teams at Princess Alice Hospice and Woking & Sam Beare
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Dr Joseph HAWKINSConsultant in Specialist Palliative Medicine GMC: 6158909 Tel: 01932 872000 Clinical Lead Normal hours 8:30-17:00 Monday to Friday |
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Mrs Susan DARGANNurse Consultant in Specialist Palliative Care CNS Lead for Palliative Care. Contact directly via Switchboard (01932 872000) or team bleep 5605 |
How you will be referred
Referrals to the supportive and palliative care service may be initiated by a member of your medical or nursing team or Allied Health Care Professional.
All referrals should be made through CERNER in the first instance.
Please contact our team if you wish to discuss a referral. Contact Number: 01932 872000 or team bleep 5605.
Key Worker
A Key Worker is a 'person who, with the patients' consent and agreement, takes a key role in coordinating his / her care and promoting continuity, ensuring the patient knows who to access for information and advice' (NICE, 2004).
The Supportive and Palliative Care Team will work closely with your existing key workers.
How we can help you?
We aim to:
- Offer you advice about managing pain and other physical symptoms
- Support you while you are facing serious illness
- Offer practical suggestions to help you do the things that are important to you
- Offer guidance in planning for your discharge from hospital, this may include admission to hospice, nursing home or going home
- Offer support to those close to you
- Inform you about other services that might be helpful to you, such as additional support at home
- Inform you about research studies running in the department that you may be eligible to take part in
- Support and help you to plan your future care and wishes around your treatment
End of Life Care
End of Life is a phrase used in the NHS to describe the last twelve months of life. The care of those with life limiting conditions is managed by all clinicians across the hospital. As such the End of Life department is not a single service but instead is a clinical and leadership team dedicated to ensuring that Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Foundation Trust continues to offer the highest quality of care and support to those approaching the end of their life.
Fundraising
If you would like to make a donation, please make cheques payable to –
Ashford and St Peters Cancer and Palliative Care Trust Fund
Educational Resources
The following resources may be useful for clinical teams:
Hospice UK provide the following guidance for patients:
