Specialist Palliative Care Team - Portsmouth

What is palliative care?
Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life for patients who are living with a life shortening illness. It also helps their carers and those close to them. Palliative care is available at any point during a life shortening illness, not just when patients are nearing the end of their life. The palliative care approach is used for all on-going life-shortening conditions, not just cancer.
Palliative care is provided at two distinct levels of care: those providing the day-to-day care to patients - such as General Practitioners (GP) and Community Nurses - and those who specialise in palliative care - the Specialist Palliative Care Team (SPCT). The SPCT aims to provide advice and support to patients, family, friends and carers. They also provide advice and liaise directly with the GP and other professionals involved in the patient’s care (such as the District Nurses). The multidisciplinary team (who all have advanced or specialist palliative care skills) consists of: - Consultants in palliative medicine, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Specialist Physiotherapists, Specialist Occupational Therapists, Clinical Psychologists, Re-enablement Social Worker. The SPCT also hold a weekly Early Palliative Care Clinic for those newly diagnosed as palliative.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) 

Referral criteria

Referral to the service can be made for any discipline within the team, according to the following criteria:

• Those with persistent symptoms not responding to routine therapy.
• Those and their carers having difficulties in adjusting to their disease, including the need for psychological assessment for high levels of depression and anxiety.
• Those having difficulty with completing their normal activities of daily living, for example transfers, who may benefit from assessment; aids; equipment; and minor adaptations.
• Patients with complex symptoms who require more in-depth mobility assessment or moving and handling review; palliative rehabilitation; physiotherapy treatment and advice for symptom management such as pain, respiratory issues and acupuncture.
• When health care professionals require specialist advice and support with case management.

When newly diagnosed as palliative, patients can be referred or self-refer to the Early Palliative Care clinic. This will enable early assessment and sign posting to appropriate services in order to facilitate advanced planning for future needs i.e. Day-Care, Living Well Centre, and carer support services.

The Specialist Palliative Care Team accepts referrals from patients within GP catchment area of PO1 to PO7. Referrals are accepted with patient’s consent, from GPs, hospital consultants and other community staff acting on their behalf.

All referrals must have the consent from their GP.

Contact with the patient cannot be made until a written referral has been completed.  However, where an urgent referral is required, telephone advice can be sought by professionals at any time (by contacting the telephone number below).

Health care professionals will review and assist with:

• Pain management and other symptoms.
• Help the patient, their family and carer cope with any emotional upset caused by the illness.
• Provide advice about practical problems relating to the illness, including financial, physical and environmental  problems.
• Help patients deal with spiritual questions which may arise from the illness.
• Support, discuss and communicate any preferences the patient may have about their care.
• Assess family members and carers for support through bereavement.

Referrals to the team may take different forms.  The referral form guides the level of information that we need so that we can triage accurately and efficiently.

Community referrals can be:

• Faxed to the team secretary  Cate Marshall-Murrant on: 0300 123 7779.
• Sent via SPCT@solent.nhs.uk 
• Sent as an E-referral through SystmOne.
• Given verbally through Single Point of Access by phoning: 0300 300 2011.

Where referral is for hospice admission a member of the team will usually make contact with the referrer by phone and make an assessment. Emergency admissions may be admitted unseen.