Summer 2009: Clinicians' newsletter

Welcome to the first edition of our newsletter. We want to keep our fellow professionals updated with Weldmar Hospicecare Trust news and ‘hot topics’ in palliative care and hope you will find this interesting and useful.

From July, Karen Steadman will be leading the medical team as Acting Medical Director while Richard Sloan is on sabbatical leave . . . more about this below.

Off and away, but back next January!
Medical Staffing from July to January
www.weld-hospice.org.uk
Conference
Hot Topics
Introducing the Family Support Team

Off and away, but back next January!

After 16 years as Medical Director, I am shortly to embark on a six month sabbatical.

I shall be travelling to Japan to link up with a hospital there interested in promoting palliative care. I also hope to visit a newly-opened hospice in India whose Medical Director visited us several years ago for experience. It will be fascinating to compare and contrast the effects of spirituality and its effects on symptom control between our two countries.

I look forward to sharing my experiences with you on my return via the next newsletter . . watch this space!

Dr Richard Sloan

Medical Staffing from July to January

Dr Karen Steadman will become Acting Medical Director
Dr Helen Parsons will be Acting Consultant.
Dr Subada Mulumudi, Dr Matthew Brook and Dr Sandra Pepper cover the Inpatient Unit
All can be contacted by calling 01305 215300

We continue to have F1 doctors on placement with us for 2 month stints. At present we have Dr Megan Howarth with us until August.

www.weld-hospice.org.uk

Tell us what you think about our ‘new’ website launched at the start of the year. We have a section for professionals and would really welcome your feedback as to what you would like to see on the site. Any comments can be made via our feedback form on the website or to any of the clinical team.

Conference

We are pleased to present our 19th Annual Medical Conference called Keeping Abreast. This is an update on breast cancer care, treatment and palliative care. The conference is for doctors, nurses and professionals allied to medicine. 5 CPD points from the Royal College of Physicians have been awarded.

Hot Topics

End of Life Care Strategy...

...challenges us all and we can no longer say “Nothing to do with me” as it covers all conditions and all care settings (e.g. home, hospital, hospice, care home, community hospital, prisons etc.).

We have been using this document as the ‘backbone’ of our current work and developments looking at education, the non-malignant agenda, engaging with the local community in encouraging end of life discussions, looking at options for providing a better service in North Dorset and much more.

You can download the document from the Department of Health website.

Advance Care Planning (ACPs)

“This is a voluntary process of discussion about future care between an individual and their care providers, irrespective of discipline.”
www.endoflifecare.nhs.uk

“Advance care planning should be offered as part of routine clinical practice to patients with long term conditions and those receiving care at
the end of life”. RCP Guidance

Please contact me or any of the clinical team if you would like to talk through any of these issues on 01305 215300

Dr Karen Steadman

Introducing the Family Support Team

Based at Joseph Weld Hospice, the Family Support Team is made up of social workers, counsellors and a Chaplain and is supported by a team of dedicated and trained volunteers. The team provides emotional and practical support to patients during their end of life and to their families and carers in their bereavement.

Over the last six months the team has provided bereavement support to 180 new people and has helped 94 patients and carers get the best possible care available to help them stay at home or return to their homes after a short stay in the hospice. If you would like to know more about the team please contact Jane Barnett (centre front in photo) on 01305 215395

To receive the next edition by email please contact liz.billingham@weld-hospice.org.uk