This page explains what the hospital specialist supportive and palliative care team does. It explains how we can help. This information is for patients and people who are important to them. Speak to your nurse or doctor if you have any questions.
What does the hospital specialist supportive and palliative care team do?
The hospital specialist supportive and palliative care team helps people who have serious illnesses. This includes people who:
- may be approaching the end of their lives
- are having treatment for life-threatening or life limiting illnesses
Who’s in the specialist supportive and palliative care team?
Our team includes palliative care doctors, clinical nurse specialists and a coordinator. We work closely with other healthcare professionals and teams based in our hospitals. These include pain nurses, chaplaincy, occupational therapists, the complex discharge team, a welfare officer and the psychology team.
How the team can help you
We aim to make you as comfortable as possible by managing your physical symptoms. We also help with emotional, spiritual, family and financial worries.
- Using our specialist knowledge, we help manage physical symptoms. These include pain, feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting), breathlessness, and constipation.
- We help you plan what is important to you as your health condition changes. This is called advance care planning. This may include where you would like to be cared for and where you want to die.
- We provide psychological and emotional support to you and people who are important to you.
- We suggest practical ways to help you do what matters to you and live as well as possible.
- When you are nearing the end of your life, we aim to make sure you have a comfortable and dignified death.
- We refer you to other services that might help you. These include community palliative care and hospice services.
- We give guidance to your healthcare team in planning for your discharge from hospital.
How can I or people who are important to me be referred?
Any healthcare professional at Royal Brompton Hospital or Harefield Hospital can refer you to our team.
After you are referred and with your agreement, one of our clinical nurse specialists will assess your needs. This assessment can happen during a hospital stay, a clinic visit, or a phone or video appointment. After this, we will plan ongoing support based on your needs.
Contact us
The hospital specialist supportive and palliative care team is available on Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm. You can also ask your ward nurse to contact us on your behalf.
Harefield Hospital
Phone 01895 828 922 (direct line)
Royal Brompton Hospital
Phone 020 7352 8121 extension 84737
You can leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible. This may be the next working day.