General Subpage

Patients coping with many different conditions and illnesses can access palliative care. All Palliative Care patients have a life-limiting condition – an illness or disease which is progressive and cannot be cured. Many patients have advanced cancer but there are many with other illnesses, such as motor neuron disease or severe heart or lung disease.

Patients attend at different stages of their illness – some will have months or years to live while others may have only days or weeks. Many are also attending hospital for other specialist treatments like chemotherapy or radiotherapy. This may be where they first meet our consultants. Some attend because they have difficult symptoms like pain or nausea. Others may be frail and need specialist support to care for themselves.

Our services are available to people of all faiths and no faiths.

We believe palliative care can make all the difference. Palliative care can help you live as actively as possible. We give practical advice and provide on-going support to your family and carers. We have everyone’s physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing at the heart of what we do. We listen to your needs and those of your family and caregivers.

Palliative care gives you, and those close to you, the time to do and talk about what matters to you most. It can help you and your family feel more comfortable and more in control.

Consultants in Palliative Medicine lead our Specialist Palliative Care services. Patient care is provided by a multi-disciplinary team. This team is made up of people with different skills, who work with community and hospital services.

You can access palliative care at any age and at any stage after your diagnosis. Getting palliative care at an early stage can sometimes help to better manage your symptoms. This can help you to be more comfortable and have a better quality of life.

Some people are referred by their GP because their symptoms are difficult to manage. Others meet our consultants in hospitals where they are being treated.

Depending on your needs, you may move in and out of palliative care. If your condition changes or stabilises our specialised involvement may no longer be necessary. If this happens you may return to the care of your GP and other specialists.