Torbay Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team

Team office: 01803 655042 (answerphone)
Secretary: 01803 655056

Who are we?

We are a specialist team of doctors and nurses, and with administrative support, we work alongside the team caring for you to offer specialist advice and input into your care.

What do we do?

We offer advice to the team looking after you and work alongside them to:

  • Help with any symptoms you may have.
  • Help you to think about your future care and treatments.
  • Offer support to you and your family.
  • Act as a link between hospital and home and where appropriate, Rowcroft or other hospice.

How to access the Specialist Palliative Care Team?

In most cases your medical team will make a referral to the hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team for management of pain and difficult symptoms. Nursing staff can also refer provided this has been agreed by the medical team. Patients or family members can also ask the ward team looking after them whether a referral would be helpful.

How quickly will I be seen by the Specialist Palliative Care Team?

We aim to see patients in hospital as quickly as possible – preferably the same day or by the next working day.

How do we work?

Inpatients

Once you have been referred to our service we will visit you on the ward to discuss your current situation. This may include an assessment of pain and other physical symptoms and emotional and psychological support.

In conjunction with other teams we can address any social, spiritual or psychological needs you may have. We may continue to see you throughout your stay in hospital and alongside the ward team will try to help you manage your illness.

We liaise with community teams, for example your GP, district nurse or hospice nurse as appropriate, when you are discharged from hospital.

Outpatients

Your GP or hospital doctor can refer you to the hospital Palliative Care Consultant’s outpatient clinic. The clinic is held in the Oncology department (Blue zone, level 4) Torbay Hospital. You will be seen by one of the doctors in the team.