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What is Specialist Palliative Care?
Some people, who have more specialised or complex needs, may require care from specialist health and social care staff who have specialist training and expertise in palliative care. This care may be directly provided for the person and those important to them or through the provision of information and guidance to the other staff already caring for the person.
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Why a person may require Specialist Palliative Care?
Specialist Palliative Care staff work together usually as part of a multidisciplinary Specialist Palliative Care Team. They provide:
- Advice on the management of symptoms such as pain, breathlessness or sickness
- Support to the person and those important to them in order to help them manage their illness
- Information about social, practical and financial issues
- The opportunity for the person and those important to them to discuss concerns or questions about their illness and treatment plan as well as on making plans for the future when appropriate
- Advice on other support services
- Help to facilitate where the person wants to be cared for. This may be at home, in hospital, a hospice or in a care home where possible and appropriate.
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When is Specialist Palliative Care required?
Add here about ant any stage of the illness and that may be discharged from case load and come back onto caseload as need arises. Often people with palliative conditions can be cared for by their GP, District Nurse, Ward Team and/or a relevant Specialist Team/service (e.g. Heart Failure Service)
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Who provides Specialist Palliative Care?
Some professionals across the SHSCT/within the Team have had initial funding or ongoing funding from Macmillan Cancer Support or Southern Area Hospice Services. Such staff will have Macmillan or Hospice in their professional title to reflect the funding source. (often called Macmillan or Hospice Nurses
Include Jades work on roles of specialist staff
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Where is Specialist Palliative Care provided?
Specialist Palliative Care Teams are available to provide advice and support to people in their own homes, care homes, hospitals, and hospices. This can include in-patient and outpatient facilities as well as providing bereavement support.
Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team
Specialist Palliative Care is provided within the two acute hospitals in the Southern Trust – Craigavon Area Hospital and Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry. The Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team provides support, information and advice to the hospital teams/services caring for palliative patients, their families and carers.
The Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team is made up of medical consultants, specialist nurses, allied health professionals, a pharmacist and a social worker.
Patients may be referred to the Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team at any time from diagnosis of a life-limiting illness through to end of life care. Reasons for referral may include; symptom management; psychological, spiritual and social support, complex discharge planning and end of life care.
Referrals to the Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team can only be made if the patient has consented and the hospital consultant has agreed for the Specialist Palliative Care Team to visit the patient.
The Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team is available in Craigavon Area Hospital and Daisy Hill Hospital Monday to Friday 9am – 5 pm.
Contact details for the Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team:
Craigavon Area Hospital
Generic Palliative Care Nurses:
- Macmillan Palliative/Supportive Nurse Specialist – 028 375 61933
- Palliative/Supportive Care Nurse Specialist – 028 375 61931
Generic Palliative Care and Gynaecological Cancer Nurse:
- Macmillan Nurse Specialist – 028 375 61934
Generic Palliative Care and Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Nurse:
- Macmillan Nurse Specialist – 028 375 61932
Lung Cancer Nurses:
- Macmillan Lung Clinical Nurse Specialist – 028 375 61930
- Macmillan Lung Cancer Nurse – 028 375 60098
Other Specialist Palliative Care Staff at Craigavon Area Hospital
The following Specialist Palliative Care Staff below can be contacted by telephoning Craigavon Area Hospital on 028 3833 4444:
- Dietitian
- Occupational therapist
- Physiotherapist
- Social Worker
- Pharmacist
Daisy Hill Hospital
Generic Palliative Care:
- Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist – 028 375 62916
- Palliative Care Nurse – 028 375 62916
Other multi-disciplinary staff members are available in Daisy Hill Hospital and can be contacted by telephoning Daisy Hill Hospital on 028 3083 5000 or through the ward staff caring for the person.
Consultants in Palliative Medicine
The Palliative Medicine Consultants work across both Craigavon Area Hospital and Daisy Hill Hospital. They can be contacted by telephoning their secretaries:
- Consultant secretaries – 028 375 60754 or 028 375 62917
Community Multi-Disciplinary Specialist Palliative Care Team
The Community Multi-disciplinary Specialist Palliative Care Team includes Specialist Palliative Care Nurses, Palliative Medicine Consultants, Social Workers, Physiotherapists, Dietitians, a Speech and Language Therapist and an Occupational Therapist. Members of the team may visit and support people and those important to the person in their own home, in care homes, in a clinic, a non-acute setting or in hospice.
The Team provides: advice on symptoms; support to help the person manage their illness; opportunities to discuss concerns about the illness; information about social, practical and financial issues; advice on other services; help to facilitate where you want to be cared for.
The Community Multi-Disciplinary Specialist Palliative Care Team will work alongside other professionals involved in the care of the person such as the person’s GP and/or District Nurse.
The person will have been referred to the Team because they require support for specific needs. Once these needs have been addressed the person may be discharged from the Team’s care. However, if the person requires further help in the future they may be referred back to the Team by another professional involved in their care.
Contact Details for Community Specialist Palliative Care Team:
Specialist Palliative Care Nurses, Armagh & Dungannon Area
D Floor, South Tyrone Hospital Carland Rd, Dungannon,
Co Tyrone. BT71 4AU
Telephone: 028 37 565350
Specialist Palliative Care Nurses, Craigavon & Banbridge Area
Finance Building, Lurgan Hospital, 100 Sloan St
Lurgan, Co Armagh. BT66 8NX
Telephone: 028 36 560592
Specialist Palliative Care Nurses, Newry & Mourne Area
Give new details
Specialist Physiotherapists, Social Workers, Speech & Language Therapist and Occupational Therapist
Finance Building, Lurgan Hospital, 100 Sloan St
Lurgan, Co Armagh. BT66 8NX
Telephone: 028 36 560592
Specialist Dietitian
D Floor, South Tyrone Hospital
Carland Rd, Dungannon, Co Tyrone. BT71 4AU
Telephone: 028 37 565390
Palliative Medicine Consultants
Craigavon Area Hospital
68 Lurgan Road, Portadown, Co Armagh. BT63 5QQ
Contact via secretary
028 375 60754 or 028 375 62917
In-patient Specialist Palliative Care
The Southern Area Hospice Services provides in-patient specialist palliative care. It has a 14 bedded specialist palliative care in-patient unit located at St. John’s House, Newry. The overall aim of the unit is to ensure that patients are comfortable during their stay and that they receive the highest possible quality of care.
Patients may be admitted to the in-patient unit for the control of symptoms such as pain or nausea; rehabilitation following treatment; respite or for care at end of life. They can avail of treatment and advice from different members of the multidisciplinary team including: Medical, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Social Workers, Chaplaincy and Complementary Therapy staff.
People usually spend two weeks in the in-patient unit but this may be longer or shorter depending on their needs. When symptoms are controlled, the patient may return home. Patients can then avail of other Hospice services such as our Out-Patients Clinics, Hospice Day Care, Donaldson Counselling and Therapy Centre or Resource Centre.
For further information about the in-patient unit contact the Southern Area Hospice Services:
Address – St. John’s House, Courtenay Hill, Newry, Co. Down.
Telephone – 028 3026 7711
Website www.southernareahospiceservices.org
Day Hospice
Day Hospice facilities are available in Dungannon and Newry and are provided by Southern Area Hospice Services. These facilities are managed by nurses and offer support to patients with advanced illnesses such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and Motor Neurone Disease. They are available during the day for people who are living at home. As well as supporting people with advanced illnesses they provide respite for carers.
The Day Hospice Unit in Dungannon is based on Floor D at the South Tyrone Hospital. It is open two days per week, Tuesday and Wednesday from 9.30am – 3.30pm.
The Day Hospice Unit in Newry is based at St John’s House, Newry. It is open four days per week, Monday to Thursday from 9.30am – 2.00pm
For further information about Day Hospice contact the Southern Area Hospice Services:
Telephone – 028 3026 7711
Website www.southernareahospiceservices.org
Out-patient appointments – Palliative Medicine Clinics
People living at home who require control of complex symptoms may be assessed by a Consultant in Palliative Medicine at one of the Palliative Medicine out-patient clinics.
Patients may be referred for an appointment by their GP or Hospital Consultant. Referrals can be accepted by the secretary for the Consultant in Palliative Medicine.
Out-patient clinics are available at Craigavon Area Hospital and Daisy Hill Hospital.
Consultant in Palliative Medicine secretaries:
Telephone – 028 375 60754 or 028 375 62917