Specialist Palliative Care

This service offers Palliative Care to people who have a life limiting illness and require specialist intervention and expertise. It is particularly important for people who require end of life care or have advanced disease. The aim is not to cure but to relieve suffering relating to physical, psychological, spiritual and pain management issues, improving the quality of life of the person who is ill and supporting the people caring for them.

The team provides expertise in pain and symptom management and psychological needs. We will support and help patients and their families plan for the future, by helping patients and their loved ones to think about and record what matters to them in their future care.

Across Hertfordshire we work in an integrated way to help support the patient and their family in the community. This means that we are based with community nurses and therapists and work alongside other palliative care providers.

The Specialist Palliative Care team is made up of highly trained professionals including Clinical Nurse Specialists, doctors, a psychologist, and administrative staff.

The Hertfordshire Community Specialist Palliative Care team serves North Hertfordshire covering North Herts, Stevenage and Royston areas and West Hertfordshire covering Hertsmere and Watford and Three Rivers.

What does the Specialist Palliative Care Team do?

• They will see patients who need specialist intervention in a Nurse led Clinic or visit patients’ homes once housebound.
• They complete a holistic assessment and offer specialist intervention and expertise.
• They provide a high level of clinical decision making and advice on complex pain and symptom control issues.
• They support patients and their families to be looked after in their preferred place of care.
• They offer a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death.
• They help their families cope during the patients’ illness and in their own bereavement.
• They provide episodes of care, so will see you when you have a specialist need. Once resolved they will hand your care back over to your GP or District Nurse. However, you will be able to contact us via telephone if you have any concerns or needs and they will always revisit if needed.
• They can help signpost you to other appropriate services.

Contact the service

North Hertfordshire

Telephone: 0300 123 7571

West Hertfordshire

Telephone: 01923 335358

• Holistic assessment of patient and family needs integrating the psychological, social and spiritual aspects of patient care
• A high level of clinical decision making
• Support to patients and their families in their preferred place of care
• Reduced admissions to hospitals
• Advice on complex pain and symptom control
• Collaboration with other teams on providing specialist advice, support and care for patients and carers 
• A support system to help patients to live as actively as possible until death and to help their family cope during the patients illness and in their own bereavement
• Collaboration with other service providers

• All patients over the age of 18 are eligible for the service, who have specialist palliative care needs. This may include complex symptom control and psychological issues.
• Patients who have been referred will be contacted and given contact numbers of the service as well as access to a 24 hour advice line if they need to seek help outside of normal working hours.
• Patients will be offered an holistic assessment either in a nurse led clinic or, if housebound, in their usual place of residence

You will be contacted and an appointment made to be seen in a nurse led clinic if not housebound, or at your usual place of residence. You will be given an appointment time and contact details in case you need to contact the service prior to or after your appointment. At the appointment you will have a holistic assessment, asked about your main concerns, and then you will agree some actions and another appointment may be made if appropriate. Referrals to other services may also be made on your behalf with your consent.

Bedford Road Health Centre

• Phone: 01462 427034
• Service Manager/Clinical Lead: Marian Townsend
• Area served: North Hertfordshire

St Nicholas Surgery

• Phone: 01462 427034
• Service Manager/Clinical Lead: Marian Townsend
• Area served: Stevenage

Park Drive Health Centre

• Phone: 01462 427034
• Service Manager/Clinical Lead: Marian Townsend
• Area served: North Hertfordshire and Royston

Peace Hospice

• Phone: 01923 335358
• Service Manager/Clinical Lead: Marian Townsend
• Area served: Watford and Three Rivers

Potters Bar Community Hospital

• Phone: 01923 335358
• Service Manager/Clinical Lead: Marian Townsend
• Area served: Hertsmere

• Referral email: CLCHT.westherts.palliativecare@nhs.net
• Phone number: 0333 234 0868