Supportive and Palliative Care
Supportive and Palliative Care
The Supportive and Palliative Care Team provides a specialist service for patients receiving treatment for cancer and other serious illnesses at Royal Surrey County Hospital. The main activities of the team are:
- Pain Control – we treat most types of pain (including pain caused by treatment for underlying illness).
- Symptom control – we treat most symptoms (including symptoms caused by underlying illness).
- Psychological support.
- Cancer treatment problems.
- Cancer survivorship problems.
- Advance care planning.
- End-of-life care.
- Education and Training.
- Research.
The Supportive and Palliative Care Team at the Royal Surrey County Hospital do not review patients at home or in other settings (e.g. care homes, nursing homes). If appropriate your medical team can refer you to a community based palliative care team (often linked to a hospice).
Information for inpatients
The Supportive and Palliative Care Team review inpatients at Royal Surrey Hospital. Patients are seen as required, and all patients are reviewed on the twice weekly consultant ward round (with the clinical nurse specialists).
Information for outpatients
The Team are also able to review Outpatients in the Accident and Emergency Department, and the Emergency Assessment Unit, and also the Oncology clinics, the Chemotherapy Day unit, and the Radiotherapy department at the Cancer Centre.
The Team run three Outpatient clinics a week in the Cancer Centre (at the Royal Surrey County Hospital). The clinic is for patients with uncontrolled pain and/or other symptoms. Patients can be referred to this clinic by their GP, clinical nurse specialist or hospital consultant.
Where are clinics held?
Clinics are held in the Cancer Centre on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
What will happen at my appointment?
A consultant, junior doctor or clinical nurse specialist will ask questions about your symptoms, and if necessary perform an examination and discuss which treatments may be beneficial for you. They will then discuss the options for treatment, and generally prescribe medication that can be obtained from the hospital pharmacy.
Key Worker – All patients will be allocated a ‘key worker’, who will be their main contact within the Supportive & Palliative Care team. However, all members of the team will be aware of all patients, and all in patients will be seen on the twice weekly consultant ward round (with the clinic nurse specialist).
Contact our service
Telephone – Clinical: 01483571122, Extension: 4188
Telephone – Administration: 01483571122, Extension: 2573
Meet the team
- Dr Charlotte Leach, Consultant in Palliative Medicine
- Dr Amy Watret, Consultant in Palliative Medicine
- Jo Thompson, Nurse Consultant
- Becci Ford, Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Tessa MacDonald, Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Ashley Frame, Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Sally Hall, Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Katie Honeywill, Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Lucy Kellaway, Lead Nurse
- Lucy Jeffries, Occupational Therapist
- Emma Dillsworth, Project Manager
- Melissa Coulter, Medical Secretary
What else do we do?
Audit/Service evaluations
We regularly undertake surveys to ensure that we are providing a good service for our patients. You and or your family members may be asked to take part in one of these surveys and your care will not be affected if you choose not to take part.
Research
We have an active research department. You and/or your family members may be asked to take part in one of these research projects; again you do not have to take part in these research projects, and your care will not be affected if you chose not to take part. All research projects have been approved by the local research ethics committee.
Education and Training
We regularly have medical students, nursing students and other healthcare professionals undertaking attachments with the team.