Our Specialist Palliative Care Team supports people who have life‑limiting illnesses. This is a condition that cannot be cured and may shorten a person’s life. We help with physical, emotional, social, spiritual and cultural needs. We also support families and carers during difficult times.
Our team includes skilled health professionals who work together to give the best care possible. We also provide specialist advice to doctors, nurses and other staff who may need extra support when caring for patients.
We help patients who need palliative or end‑of‑life care, in their homes and in hospital.
To get help from this team, a patient must first be referred by their GP.
You have the right to make choices about your care and treatment throughout your life. Deciding Right helps you plan ahead in case there comes a time when you cannot make decisions yourself.
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How Can I Make Care Decisions in Advance?
There are four main ways to make sure your wishes are known:
1. Advance Statement
This is where you write down what matters to you. It can include your wishes, beliefs, and daily preferences. You can write it on your own or with help from your family, carers or healthcare team.
2. Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment
This lets you say which treatments you do not want in the future if you cannot make decisions. It can be a simple verbal discussion with your care team. If you want to refuse life‑prolonging treatment, it must be written down.
3. Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)
You can choose someone you trust to make decisions for you if you lose capacity. This is a legal process and usually done through a solicitor or the Office of the Public Guardian. There is a cost.
There are two types of LPA:
- Property and Financial Affairs – decisions about money and property
- Health and Welfare – decisions about your care and treatment
4. Emergency Healthcare Plan
This is useful if you have a complex medical condition and may face a sudden emergency (like seizures or asthma attacks). It guides carers and emergency teams on what to do, who to contact, and what treatments or first aid should be used.
End of life care is support for people who are in the last months or years of their life. The aim is to help you live as well as you can and to die with dignity. Staff should ask about your wishes and include them when planning your care. They should also support your family, carers or anyone important to you.
Your Choices
You have the right to say where you want to be cared for and where you would like to die. Care can be given at home, in a care home, hospice, or hospital. The place of care should match your needs and preferences.
Your Care Team
You should be seen by a doctor regularly. If they believe you may be nearing the end of your life, they should explain this to you and to those close to you.
You may be supported by many professionals, including doctors, nurses, and specialist palliative care teams. They can help with pain, symptoms, and emotional, social or spiritual needs.
How Care Should Be Given
- Staff should speak with you and your loved ones honestly and kindly.
- You should be involved in decisions about your care, if you want to be.
- Your family’s needs should be supported as much as possible.
- Your care plan should be personal to you and delivered with compassion.
Support Available
This can be a very difficult and frightening time. There are services to help you, such as district nurses, community palliative care nurses and out‑of‑hours support.
What if I need help out of hours?
Our Out-of-Hours Palliative Care Nursing Team help people with serious illnesses who need support in the community. They give advice and care during a crisis and help people at the end of life.
We work closely with district nurses to support patients when normal services are closed. We provide urgent care, manage crises, and prevent people from needing to go into hospital at the end of life.
People can contact the team for help with symptoms, a full health check, verifying a death or getting bereavement advice.
Patients, families, carers or healthcare professionals can call the team to make a referral.
