Palliative Care

What is Palliative care?

Palliative Care is the holistic care of patients whose illness is progressive and where the goal is to achieve the best possible quality of life for patients and their families.

Referral to the service is appropriate for any patients with an incurable, progressive life threatening illness.

It is particularly recommended for:

• Patients with rapidly progressive disease.
• Patients with difficult to control or rapidly progressing symptoms.
• Patients with distressing symptoms when no relief has been achieved within 48 hours.
• Psychological, social and spiritual distress in patients or their family.
• Young patients or patients with young children in the family. 

What does the service offer? 

•  Advice on pain control.
• Advice on control of other symptoms, e.g. sickness, constipation, poor appetite.
• Emotional and psychological support.
• Support and advice for family and their carers in all care settings.
• Information, support and advice to health and social care professionals.

There are also palliative medicine outpatient clinics in the Macmillan Renton Unit at The CountyHospital, at Leominster Community Hospital and in Mid Powys.  

People are sometimes discharged from our service depending on their needs.

We work closely with the GP and District Nurses who remain the primary point of contact in the community and also with St Michael’s Hospice.

We can also access help for you and provide contact details for:

•  Psychological services
• Social Services and the provision of hands on care
• Spiritual/cultural support
• Self-help groups