Palliative care
Our palliative care service offers a place of comfort and dignity for you and your family. We can also support you if you decide to receive palliative care in your own home.
We provide end of life care across all of our community inpatient wards, as well as support if you chose to receive care in your home.
We also work closely with other palliative services and charities, such as Sue Ryder care nurses and Thames Hospice.
Our Chaplaincy service is available to everyone, including your friends and family, if you need to talk to someone about faith and spirituality.
When you come to us to receive palliative care, we’ll talk to you about your needs, and how we can help you.
If we feel that you would benefit from it, we’ll offer you a place in our Rainbow Rooms, where we offer 24 hour support.
These are dedicated spaces at our Highclere and Donnington wards equipped to accommodate your needs, and your family members and carers who wish to stay with you.
You’ll be looked after by our consultants and GPs who specialise in end of life medicine and therapy.
We can offer both larger rooms and single side rooms, based on your needs and their availability.
We also welcome other visitors from other hospitals and teams if you’re receiving care from another specialist. We have access to other departments and services to cater for your care needs, such as:
- A renal dialysis unit next to our hospital
- CT scanners on site
- X-ray department
- Pathology department
You’re welcome to come and visit our rooms and meet our team before you make a decision to use our service.
Our community nurses can support you if you decide to receive palliative care in your home.
We can help with things like symptom management to make sure you’re comfortable, and guide your family and carers with advice on your care plan.
Please speak to your GP or healthcare professional at our hospital for more information
We offer support on a case by case basis.
To access our care service, ask your GP or care professional at our hospital for a referral.
We don’t restrict visiting times for patients staying with us in palliative care, unless your condition means that we need to make exceptions, such as if you’re tired or being treated for an infectious disease.
We do ask that visitors respect the privacy and wellbeing of other patients at our ward, particularly outside of normal working hours.
If you’re visiting a loved one, or coming to see our ward, can you please use the alcohol hand gels provided. If you’re ill, we kindly ask that you reduce or reschedule your visiting time.
If you have any questions, you can call our team.
Call 01635 273 556
Call 01635 273 550
Inpatient Unit
West Berkshire
Community Hospital
Thatcham
RG18 3AS
Resources Section
Thames hospice
Newbury Cancer Care
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