Our community specialist palliative care nurses provide a service for patients, families or carers, at home or in care homes. This could be at the time of diagnosis or at any point throughout an illness.

Patients, their families and carers can contact the hospice directly for the service and we aim to be able to give advice and support over the telephone.  

They undertake a comprehensive nursing assessment to find out exactly what patients and families need, then offer advice and support as required, to form an individualised plan of care. 

The community team works in partnership with other health professionals like district nurses, social carers and GPs. The service is run in addition to the care these people may already provide and does not replace it. They work to support that care and to boost it when times are particularly difficult.

Our remit will include giving advice on symptom management and the assessment may highlight the need for a change of medication to manage symptoms or to commence a new medication.

The specialist palliative care nursing team carry out a role similar to Macmillan nurses but are not funded by Macmillan. They are employed by the hospice and are available Monday to Friday 8am unitl 6pm.

Out-of-hours advice can be obtained by contacting the in-patient unit at the hospice on 01292 269200 (on weekends select option one)