Palliative care is for people with any life limiting illness, with the aim of enhancing and where possible improving quality of life. The Specialist Palliative Care team provide expertise in pain and symptom control management, alongside emotional and spiritual support for both the patient and those they love.
The team works in an integrated way with other community Health Care professionals to manage and co-ordinate an agreed, personalised plan of care. This may include thinking ahead and planning of the future.
The team serves the North Herts, Stevenage and Royston areas on a 9am-5pm basis, 7 days a week.
What does the Specialist Palliative Care Team do?
They will:
- See patients who have complex needs either in a a Nurse Led Clinic or at home if housebound
- Undertake a holistic assessment and offer specialist intervention and expertise
- Provide a high level of clinical decision making and offer a management plan to address identified needs
- Offer psychological support to help adjust to living with a life limiting illness
- Promote living well and dying well in the identified preferred place of care
- Work collaboratively with other care givers as necessary to co-ordinate care and respond quickly
- Offer family support and signpost additional help when required
- Provide episodic care so that the right care can be given at the right time, according to needs
- All patients over the age of 18 living in the North Herts, Stevenage and Royston areas, who have specialist palliative care needs. This may include complex symptom control and psychological issues
- Patients who have been referred will be contacted and given contact numbers of the service as well as access to a 24 hour advice line if they need to seek help outside of normal working hours
- Patients will be offered an holistic assessment either in a nurse led clinic or, if housebound, in their usual place of residence
You will be contacted by the team and if appropriate an appointment will be made to either attend a virtual, or clinic appointment or you will be visited at your usual place of residence if housebound. Further appointment will be agreed according to your needs for as long as your need our support. Contact details will be given to you so can get in touch with us or speak to the advice line out of hours. Referrals to other services may also be made on your behalf and with your consent.
Referrals may be made to the Specialist Palliative Care Service for one or more of the following:
- Advice on specialist pain and symptom control
- Complex psychological support
- Complex psychological/practical support for carers
- Support for members of the primary health care team
All referrals must be completed using the Referral Form and sent via email to the East and North Herts Care Co-ordination Centre on enhertsccg.admin.palliativecare@nhs.net
Service available 7 days a week 9-5pm by contacting 0300 123 7571 Option 3.
"Keep it up. Very good service and helped me with my wellbeing."
"[My nurse] explained fully all the questions we put to her, felt very confident in her company and the answers she gave."
“Tracy, you were so kind, you did what you said you would do and although we only met you once we knew you would give us the right care and support, I really appreciate you calling.”
“Nurse Caroline was lovely, she explained everything clearly and if I didn't understand she very calmly explained everything again.”
“I am so grateful to Santa and the whole NHS; thanks to her support, advice and the nursing care that was put into place, I was able to keep [patient] at home throughout his illness knowing I had a network of help around me and he died peacefully surrounded by his family. I looked forward very much to her regular visits and phone calls - Santa was totally reliable and always visited and rang as arranged, she made us feel special although we realised that she must have many patients needing her help.”
If you would like to share your story, please contact the Patient Experience team on 01707 388036 or email pals.hchs@nhs.net.
We would also love to hear about your experience on our service, please complete a survey by clicking here.
