Palliative Care Team

What is palliative care?

Palliative care is the holistic, active care of patients and their families who are experiencing life-threatening illness. The goal of palliative care is the achievement of the best quality of life for patients. Many aspects of palliative care are applicable earlier in the course of an illness, often in conjunction with treatments for that illness.

Palliative care is designed to meet the individual needs of each patient. We concentrate on working with the patient to achieve the very best quality of life, to support them and their family.

Palliative Care Team at Addenbrooke’s Hospital

The Palliative Care Team offer specialist advice for control of symptoms, (such as pain, breathlessness, nausea and anxiety) working with other hospital teams in the total care of patients. We also extend support to family members and carers. Our goal is to enable the provision of excellent palliative care for all who need it within the Trust.

We are a multi-professional team including doctors, nurses and clinical psychologists. We are an advisory service working alongside teams treating the patients, and do not take over the patients’ care. We liaise closely with colleagues working in the community including GPs, district nurses, community Macmillan nurses and local hospices.

When we meet a patient, or their family/carers, we will undertake a holistic assessment, which will include physical, psychological, social, spiritual and financial concerns. We may then involve other services, either in the hospital or outside, to address issues identified. Our involvement can vary from a single visit to regular follow up during a patient’s admission.

How can the Palliative Care Team help you?

If you or a relative are facing a potentially life-threatening illness you may feel anxious, worried or uncertain about the future. You may have many questions that you want to ask. We are available to provide help, advice and support with these concerns. The team can provide support in helping you prepare for the future. This planning gives you the opportunity to think about, talk about and write down your preferences and priorities for future care.

We welcome feedback

If you wish to comment on the service or have cause for complaint, please contact: Dr Rosemary Wade, Specialty lead, Consultant in Palliative Medicine.

Contacting the Palliative Care Team

09:00 – 17:00 Monday – Friday. Advice out of these hours is available to the clinical team.

Telephone: 01223 274404 or ask ward to ring extension 274404

The Palliative Care Team
Box 63, Elsworth House
Addenbrooke’s Hospital
Hills Road
Cambridge
CB2 0QQ

Donations to the Palliative Care Team

Donations to develop the work of the team are very much appreciated. Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust is the dedicated charity for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie Hospitals. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we can fund extra comforts for patients, specialist staff training, vital research and high-tech equipment to help make Addenbrooke's even better.

In the Palliative Care Department we have supported Sea-Bands to help with nausea, specialist information materials and memory boxes for relatives. To become a fundraiser, make a donation or find out more visit the Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (opens in a new tab) website.