Palliative Care Teams

Palliative Care Service (Macmillan)

The Specialist Palliative Care Team provides care to adults aged over 18, who are registered with a Knowsley and St Helens GP and who have been diagnosed with a palliative condition. This is a specialist advice service encompassing complex pain and symptomatic support, psychological and emotional support. The service is also able to sign post patients to other services.

Patients will initially be referred by a healthcare professional such as GP, district nurse or the Macmillan nurse from hospital.

The team are based at: Community Health Services, Willowbrook Hospice, Portico Lane, Prescot, Merseyside L34 2QT

Telephone: 0151 351 8520

Website: www.merseycare.nhs.uk/our-services/knowsley/specialist-palliative-care-service-macmillan

Palliative Care for Children

For children in particular there may be several teams supporting their care. The children’s community nursing team (CCNT) work side by side with the specialist children's teams from Alder Hey and Claire House children's hospice. One team will take the lead role when caring for a child with a palliative diagnosis with the other teams supporting care.
The role of the CCNT is to support the family with flexible visits, and to give regular updates to the specialist palliative care teams regarding the child’s/young person’s presenting symptoms or condition, ensuring the appropriate care and support is in place.

The team can be contacted on: 0151 351 8810

Website: www.merseycare.nhs.uk/our-services/knowsley/childrens-community-nursing-team 

Adult Hospices

Willowbrook Hospice 

Willowbrook Hospice is a Specialist Palliative Care Unit for adults (18+). The Hospice offers short term care, usually a couple of weeks, for patients with complex needs and referrals are accepted on this basis. Patients admitted to their specialist ward will have the benefit of care from a highly skilled team, including complex discharge planning support. They are unable to offer long term nursing care or care at end of life where the person does not have complex needs.

A hospice is a compassionate place that aims to improve the quality of life for people who have a life limiting or terminal illness; helping them to live their life well. Willowbrook instils a holistic approach to the care provided to their patients and their families. The team don’t just care for a person’s physical needs but also for their emotional, spiritual and social needs too.

The Hospice has 10 in-patient beds, hold regular out-patient clinics and are able to provide a variety of face to face, individual and group sessions within the hospice, Monday to Friday. Although approximately three-quarters of their patients have cancer, the hospice treat other life-limiting diseases such as motor neurone disease, end-stage heart failure, lung disease. You can be referred to their Inpatient Unit by any of the Health Care professionals caring for you. Please just contact your district nurse or GP if you feel the hospice can be of help.

Information on support for carers and families of their patients can be found here: www.willowbrook.org.uk/support

Discharge information

Over 50% of their in patients are discharged from the inpatient unit back to their preferred place of care. Following discharge you can be referred to the Hospice for continuing support, comfort and care. The hospice staff liaise closely with your GP, Community Nurse Specialists and District Nurses to ensure you and your carers are well supported and assisted at home.

The Hospice

Willowbrook Hospice, Portico Lane, Prescot, Merseyside L34 2QT
Telephone: 0151 430 8736

Fundraising & Retail Office

Willowbrook Hospice, The Living Well, Borough Rd, St Helens WA10 3RN
Telephone: 01744 453798

Email: general@willowbrookhospice.org.uk

Website: www.willowbrook.org.uk

Children's Hospices

Claire House

Claire House is a hospice for children with life limiting life threatening conditions and is located in Bebington on the Wirral.
In addition to caring for children and young adults they also focus on the needs of the whole family, providing bereavement and other support for as long as it is needed. They also offer a  'Hospice to Home' service, which provides high quality specialist palliative care, support and respite to children, young people and their families in their home environment.

They have two sites, a full hospice on the Wirral and a second site in West Derby, Liverpool, offering day-care, complementary therapies, clinics, play and music sessions, and counselling.

Referrals

There is a referral form on the website here (www.clairehouse.org.uk/parents/referral-form)

If you have an urgent referral for end of life care or urgent symptom management please call the Rapid Response on-call number 07717 888604.

Address: Claire House Children’s Hospice, Clatterbridge Road, Bebington Wirral, CH63 4JD

Telephone: 0151 334 4626

Email: clairehousech.referralsteam@nhs.net
Website: www.clairehouse.org.uk

Derian House

Derian House, situated in Lancashire, provides respite and end-of-life care to babies, children and young people across the North West. The care the team provide is free and extends right across the family to brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents.

The hospice look after children and young people right up until their 26th birthday offering palliative care, respite stays, day care, holidays and end of life support. The team continue to offer transition support for those young people who are leaving up until their 28th birthday ensuring they have a well-established network of support in their community.

Address: Derian House Children’s Hospice, Chancery Road, Astley Village, Chorley, Lancashire, PR7 1DH

Telephone: 01257 233 300

email: info@derianhouse.co.uk
Website:  www.derianhouse.co.uk

Zoë's Place

Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice supports babies and young children who have complex illnesses or disabilities from birth to age five. Zoe's Place have three hospices in the country, Liverpool was the first Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice to open in 1995. Providing respite, end of life and palliative care for babies, infants and children across Merseyside and the North West with life-limiting conditions and complex needs.

The core focus of their work is providing short break stays for children who are either very poorly or undergoing treatments which need intensive nursing. Stays can vary from day care, overnight stays to longer breaks which enables families to go on holiday. Also offered is end of life care for children. The hospice has a bereavement suite with overnight accommodation and specialist facilities, which mean families that choose to use their services are able to have precious time to say goodbye to their child.

The six-bed hospice has a state-of-the-art sensory room, soft play area, hydrotherapy pool, outdoor play area and garden. The hospice provides various therapies such as animal, holistic therapies for families, hydrotherapy, play therapy and physiotherapy. A referral to Zoe’s Place can be made by a family member or a health care professional involved in the care of the child. 

Address: Yew Tree Lane, West Derby, Liverpool, L12 9HH

Tel: 0151 228 0353
Website: www.zoes-place.org.uk
Email: headoffice@zoes-place.org.uk

Support Services A-Z

Honey Rose Foundation 

The Honey Rose Foundation are a  UK-based registered charity exclusively dedicated to granting wishes to over 40-year-olds facing terminal or life-threatening illnesses. The foundation has touched the lives of over 12,500 Individuals and their Families, providing them with moments of joy and respite amidst their most challenging times. On their website you can find a Special Wish Application form to complete if you would like to access their service.

Address: 2-4 Cotham Street St Helens WA10 1SA

Telephone: 01744 451919

Website: www.honeyrosefoundation.org.uk

Marie Curie

Everyone deserves the right support at the end of life. Whether you have months, weeks or days left to live, we're here for you with clinical and emotional care, supporting you to be comfortable, free of pain and other symptoms, and able to live the best life you can to the end.

We're all unique, and what matters most to you matters most to us. We'll care for you at home and in our hospices, and give you practical and emotional help over the phone and online. We're here for the people closest to you too, right now and in the future.

Marie Curie has free information and support about dying, death and bereavement, online, in print, and over the phone. From first questions after a terminal diagnosis, or information about accessing services, to experiences shared by carers, guidance on planning for death, and support for grief.

Marie Curie Nurse

If you would like care and support in your home from a Marie Curie nurses, healthcare assistants or palliative specialists, you should contact your district nurse, GP, or your hospital team. Your district nurse or GP will discuss with you whether their services are right for you and what type and duration of care would be most helpful. If you both agree you would benefit from the care Marie Curie offer, they will contact the service and organise a Marie Curie Nurse to visit you.

Companion volunteers

Companion volunteers focus on what's important to you and those close to you. It might be accompanying you to appointments, being there to listen to how you're feeling without judgment, or stepping in so family or carers can take a break. The volunteers can offer you support at home, in hospital or over the phone.

At home - Companion volunteers are available to support anyone with a terminal illness aged 18 or over and their family. The service is usually only offered for 12 months, typically for people in the last year of life. You can contact us directly to get a Companion volunteer, or a health professional can refer you – talk to your GP, Community Palliative Care Team, hospital consultant or District Nurse.

Please note that Companion volunteers do not assist with personal and clinical care, formal counselling or regular domestic tasks.

In Hospital - If you’re in hospital, a Companion volunteer can spend time with you and provide emotional and practical support, focusing on what’s important to you. Currently, the Companion in Hospital service is available in select hospitals across the UK.

By Telephone - If you, or someone close to you, is terminally ill, you might be finding it harder than ever to get the vital support you need right now, and you might be feeling lonely. Marie Curie offer a free Companion over the phone service (formerly called Check in and Chat). It's a telephone service that provides free ongoing emotional support over the phone with the same person each week, no matter where you live in the UK or whether you've accessed support from Marie Curie before.

Support Line

Call for free on 0800 090 2309 or email support@mariecurie.org.uk to speak with Marie Curie's trained team.

You can contact the team for practical or clinical information and emotional support if you're living with or caring for someone who has a terminal illness, or have experienced a bereavement, whatever your situation.

No one is turned away, so please do not hesitate calling if you need any kind of support. 

Further information can be found on the website here: www.mariecurie.org.uk

Wishes Just 4 You

Wishes Just 4 You collaborate closely with families, healthcare providers, and community members to identify and fulfil the wishes of children and young people with life-limiting illnesses. Whether it's a visit to a farm park, an exhilarating paragliding adventure, or a peaceful sailing trip, the service go above and beyond to make these wishes come true. Each wish they grant is carefully tailored to the individual child or young person’s choice, ensuring a personalised and unforgettable experience.

Wishesjust4you was born out of a desire to bring light into the lives of children and young people living with lifelong disabilities and life-limiting illnesses. As a non-profit organisation, they are dedicated to making dreams come true. Their team is comprised of volunteers, donors, and partners who share a common mission: to provide comfort, joy, and a sense of normalcy to children during their most challenging battles.

If you know a child or young person who could benefit from the service, or if you would like to learn more about how the service can help, please don't hesitate to reach out. The team will be able to answer any questions and provide more information on how you can get involved. Your connection could be the first step in creating a life-changing experience for a deserving child or young person.

Telephone: 07342 945 690

Email: info@wishesjust4you.co.uk

Website: https://wishesjust4you.co.uk/

Page Last Updated December 2024