Earlier this year the Martlets Hospice began working in partnership with the Sussex Community NHS Trust’s palliative care team to launch the Palliative Care Partnership, a one stop service for end of life care for people in Brighton and Hove.
Via a helpline, the partnership provides specialist advice, care and support for patients in their own home, seven days a week. They help patients and their families cope with the challenging demands of an advanced illness and ensure their choices are respected. Providing this kind of care means that since the Partnership launched in April, 80% of their patients died where they wanted to.
Caroline Lower, CEO of the Martlets Hospice, said: “The Palliative Care Partnership is a first class end of life care service offering local people a real choice about the kind of care they need and where they need it. At the Martlets we want to provide the best possible care to those dying in our community, working with the Sussex Community NHS Trust has meant we’re able to reach increasing numbers of people who need end of life care.”
Dr Simone Ali, Sussex Community NHS Trust’s Consultant in Palliative Medicine and Interim Medical Director of Martlets Hospice, added: “We’ve already had nearly 500 new referrals to the Partnership and receive on average about 50 calls per day to our helpline. Many of our calls are from patients looking for advice on symptom management but as important are the key conversations that we’re able to have with patients and their families about how they’d like to be cared for in the future. It may not be an easy conversation to have but being clear about patient’s wishes at the end of life has meant we know that 80% of our patients died where they wanted to be.”
Caroline Lower, concluded saying: “In line with research carried out by Marie Curie we’re seeing more patients choosing to be cared for at home, last year the Hospice cared for nearly 700 patients and of them 174 were able to die with dignity in the comfort of their own home. Not everyone wants to die at home or in a hospice, indeed for some patients hospital is their preferred choice. Our medical staff work sensitively with patients to make their end of life care wishes clear, enabling them to do their upmost to care for patients as they wish.”
The Palliative Care Partnership provides a central point of contact, offering advice and support to patients and their families. The phone line is open 365 days a year. The team also support and advise other health care professionals who might be involved in their care. A home visiting service is provided by the Martlets Hospice at Home team and the Community Palliative Care team.
Patients can access this service via referral from the GP or healthcare professional for further information visit: www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk or www.themartlets.org.uk
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