Palliative Care
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative Care is an approach incorporated into the care given to people when cure is not possible. It involves all the health and social care staff working together to achieve the best possible quality of life for the person and their families / carers, with the agreement of the person, where possible.
Who is it for?
Palliative care is for people living with an illness that cannot be cured. Palliative care isn’t just for the end of life- a person may receive palliative care earlier in their illness while receiving other treatments.
Why may you need Palliative Care?
The health and social care staff will regularly assess how a person is feeling so they can quickly try to minimise any discomfort that person may have. They will also try to help with any other concerns whether they are physical, emotional, financial, social or spiritual.
When is Palliative Care provided?
Palliative Care can be provided at any time following the diagnosis of a life limiting condition and can be provided for weeks, months or years. Palliative Care can be provided alongside other ongoing treatment if appropriate.
Where is Palliative Care provided?
Palliative Care can be provided in different places including in the home, in hospital, in a care home or a hospice.
Who provides Palliative Care?
The staff who provide palliative care fall into two main groups – general palliative care and specialist palliative care. A person and their family may need both as their needs change.
General Palliative Care
This is given by the health and social care staff who provide day-to-day care to people with a life limiting condition and their family/carers. This includes all health and social care staff example: GPs, community nurses, hospital doctors and nurses, healthcare workers, physiotherapists, dieticians, occupational therapist, pharmacists, speech and language therapists, dentists, social workers and Marie Curie Nurses. These staff will be able to assess a patients care needs, meet those needs where possible and know when to seek specialist advice.
Specialist Palliative Care Services
A small number of people, who have more specialised needs, may need care from specialist health and social care staff who have additional training and expertise in palliative care. This input may be directly with the person and their family/carer or through the provision of information and guidance to the other staff already caring for the person. These specialist staff are available to assist in the care of people in their own homes, care homes, hospitals, and hospices. This can include in-patient and outpatient facilities and bereavement support.
Advance Care Planning
Advance Care Planning is a voluntary process of discussion and review to help an individual patient/client who has sufficient capacity to anticipate how their condition may affect them in the future, and if they wish, set on record: choices about their care and treatment.
The purpose of the process of Advance Care Planning is to make clear a person’s wishes for their future care, and will usually take place in the context of an anticipated deterioration of the individual’s condition. Advance Care Planning seeks to create a record of these discussions, so that these can be referred to by those responsible for their care or treatment when their illness progresses.
The Public Health Agency and Macmillan Cancer Support have published a free booklet ‘Your life and your choices: plan ahead’ which can be ordered from here: https://be.macmillan.org.uk/be/p-21065-your-life-and-your-choices-plan-ahead-northern-ireland.aspx
Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team
The Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team provide advice and support to the hospital teams to provide high quality care to patients, with complex palliative care needs and their families and carers.
The team consists of specialist nurses (Macmillan and Hospice), Consultants in Palliative Medicine, Pharmacist, Psychologist, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist, Social Worker and Chaplain.
Patients may be referred at any time from diagnosis of a life-limiting illness through to end of life care. Reasons for referral may include; complex symptom management, psychological, social and spiritual support, complex discharge planning and end of life care.
Team members are available on the Craigavon Area Hospital and Daisy Hill Hospital Sites Monday to Friday 9am - 5 pm. The Consultant in charge of the patient’s care must agree for the team to visit the patient.
Contact Details for Hospital Palliative Care Team
DAISY HILL HOSPITAL
Specialist Palliative Care Nurse (Hospice) Tele: 028 3083 5000 ext. 4275
CRAIGAVON AREA HOSPITAL
Palliative Care Nurse Specialists (Macmillan):
Palliative Care Nurse Specialist (Lung Cancer) Tel: 028 38 612631
Palliative Care Nurse Specialist (Gynae/Generic Palliative Care) Tele: 028 38 612943
Palliative Care Nurse Specialist (Generic Palliative Care) Tele: 028 3861 3826
Palliative Care Nurse Specialist (Upper Gastrointestinal) Tele: 028 38 612562
Palliative Care Nurse Specialist (Generic Palliative Care) Tele: 028 38 612562
Macmillan Specialist Palliative Care Pharmacist Tele: 07809390091
Oncology/ Palliative Care Dietician Tele: 028 3833 4444
Palliative Care Social Worker Niall Gallagher Tele: 028 3833 4444 ext. 60936
Palliative Care Occupational Therapist Tele: 028 3861 4002
Palliative Care Physiotherapist Tele: 028 3833 4444 Bleep 1946
Macmillan Consultant Psychologist (Oncology/ Palliative Care) Secretary 028 3866 6730
Community Multidisciplinary Specialist Palliative Care Team
The Community Multi-disciplinary Specialist Palliative Care Team includes Specialist Palliative Care Nurses (often called Macmillan or Hospice Nurses), Palliative Medicine Consultants, a Social Worker, Physiotherapist, Speech and Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist and a Dietitian. All members of the team have specialist training and experience in caring for people living with an illness that is not curable.
Members of the team may visit and support people and those important to the person in their own home, in care homes, in hospice or in a clinic.
What do we do?
By working with the other professionals involved in your care we may:
- Provide advice on symptoms that may be concerning you e.g. pain, breathlessness and sickness.
- Provide support for you and those important to you in order to help you manage your illness.
- Provide the opportunity for you and those important to you, to discuss concerns or questions about your illness and treatment and plan for the future when appropriate.
- Help to facilitate you being cared for, where you want to be cared for: at home, hospital, hospice or care home, were possible and appropriate.
- Provide information about social, practical and financial issues.
- Provide advice on other support services which are available.
What Does the Team Provide?
Short term specialist interventions in complex cases that may include –
- Physical symptom management, emotional, spiritual, social or psychological support for patients and their families with palliative diagnoses.
- Signposting to appropriate trust and voluntary services.
- Liaison with colleagues in other services throughout the patient journey.
- Education and training.
Frequently asked Questions
If I am at home, who should I contact if I have a problem?
In the first instance please contact your GP or your District Nurse within normal working hours. Out of hours you can contact the GP Out of Hours Service.
I have seen the adverts for Macmillan Cancer Support – is this the same as a Macmillan Nurse?
The adverts you see are advertising the full range of support that can be provided by Macmillan Cancer Support, Macmillan Nurses are only one part of this. In addition to Macmillan Nurse support, the Macmillan Charity also provide a 24 hour advice line number - 0808 808 0000. There is also a Macmillan Information Centre and Macmillan Benefits Service based at Craigavon Area Hospital and a Macmillan Community Helpers scheme based locally.
How often will you visit?
Once I have been seen by a Specialist Palliative Care Nurse (Macmillan Nurse) or any other member of the team will I be visited regularly?
This will vary depending on the level of support you require and will be discussed with you during our visit.
The team member will agree with you how often he or she will visit. At times in the community, advice and support will be provided by telephone rather than face to face. If regular visits are not needed but things change and you have a problem, please contact your GP and District Nurse.
Once I have been seen by a member of the Specialist Palliative Care Team will they always be involved in my care?
You will have been referred to the team because you have specific needs that you require support for. Once these needs have been addressed you may be discharged from our care. However, if you require our help in the future you can telephone the team for advice and you may be referred back to the team by any professional involved in your care.
Contact Details for Community Specialist Palliative Care Team
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Specialist Palliative Care Nurses
Armagh & Dungannon Area D Floor, South Tyrone Hospital Carland Rd, Dungannon, 028 37 565350 |
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Specialist Palliative Care Nurses
Craigavon & Banbridge Area Finance Building, Lurgan Hospital, 100 Sloan St Lurgan, Co Armagh. BT66 8NX 028 36 560592 |
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Specialist Palliative Care Nurses
Newry & Mourne Area 1stFloor, Nurses Home, Daisy Hill Hospital, 5 Hospital Rd, Newry, Co Down. BT35 8DR 028 37 560593 |
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Trust wide Specialist Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Speech & Language Therapist and Social Worker Finance Building, Lurgan Hospital, 100 Sloan St Lurgan, Co Armagh. BT66 8NX 028 36 560592 |
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Trust wide Specialist Dietitian D Floor, South Tyrone Hospital Carland Rd, Dungannon, Co Tyrone. BT71 4AU 028 37 565390 |
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Trust wide Palliative Medicine Consultants Secretary – Alwyn Somerville Craigavon Area Hospital 68 Lurgan Road, Portadown, Co Armagh. BT63 5QQ 028 37 560754 |
Palliative Medicine Consultants
The Palliative Medicine Consultants work across the Southern Trust and Southern Area Hospice, and are an essential part of both the Community and Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Teams. They link regularly with the Specialist palliative care teams to discuss patient care and make arrangements to visit patients in hospital with complex needs or at home if necessary. Patients can also be seen at an outpatient clinic.
Referrals can be made directly to the Palliative Medicine Consultants by the hospital doctor and/or GP. To refer a patient for an outpatient appointment, home visit or hospital visit contact:
Palliative Medicine Consultant Secretary Tele: 028 38613647
Southern Area Hospice Services
For further information on Southern Area Hospice Services please visit:
www.southernareahospiceservices.org or telephone 028 3026 7711
Useful Documents
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A Guide for Patients and those important to them
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Patient & Carer Information
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A Guide for Health & Social Care Staff