Click to download a generic referral form
Team work is the key to addressing palliative care needs. The professionals based at the Peace Hospice provide physical, psychological, social and spiritual care. Our medical team consists of 2 consultants, a specialty doctor, a registrar on the specialist training rotation and a part time GP trainee. There is on-site medical cover Monday - Friday 9-5 and Saturday morning. There is always a doctor on call outside of these hours.
Our multidisciplinary team includes nurses, social workers, counsellors and therapists, many of whom have gained specialist qualifications.
Most of our patients have cancer but an increasing number have other conditions such as end stage heart disease, respiratory and neurological disease. Our care is holistic, looking after the whole person, helping with emotional and spiritual issues as well as physical symptoms. We focus on enabling patients to live their lives to the full and providing the best quality of life when a cure is not possible.
| Inpatient Unit Day Care Hospice at Home Breathlessness Clinic |
Bereavement Support Carer Support Contact Us How can I make a referral? |
A guide to our services (pdf)
Service information for Healthcare Professionals (pdf)
A guide to the Inpatient Unit (pdf)
Hospice at Home - Information for patients and carers
A guide to our Complementary Services (pdf)
Understanding Bereavement (pdf)
Is Mummy coming home? (pdf) - Dealing with loss in early years
STARS (pdf) - A grief programme for children and their carers
Stepping Stones (pdf) - Confidential support for teenages and young adults
The Inpatient Unit has 12 beds in a mixture of twin and single en-suite rooms. It is a peaceful, friendly unit offering palliative care from a team of specialist doctors and nurses. There is a high nurse/patient ratio ensuring there is always time to spend with patients and their families. This is not a long term unit; the average stay is between 7 and 10 days. Visitors are welcome at any time.The Inpatient Unit is suited to patients no longer receiving active treatment. We offer symptom control stays, which allow patients to return home when able, as well as offering end of life care. We also aim to help patients and their families prepare for the end of life journey.
We offer compassionate caring for the whole person and their family. The medical team treats a variety of symptoms such as pain, loss of appetite and nausea. Our Family Services team, our Spiritual Care team and many volunteers are on call to help. We can arrange for a visit from a leader of a patient's own faith tradition. The whole Inpatient Unit team is trained to support families in observing the religious and cultural rituals that are important to them and can also help with some of the more practical things that need to be considered after death.
Prior to discharge it is usual to hold a care planning meeting with the patient, their family and outside agencies, as appropriate. On discharge from the Inpatient Unit many patients have their care transferred to our Day Services or Hospice at Home services.
Our Inpatient Unit team is always available to give telephone advice. Call 01923 335340.
For further information please call our Referral Co-ordinator: 01923 330330 or fax 01923 335341.
The Starlight Centre is the base for our Day Services located in a modern, safe and friendly environment. Day Services hope to engage with patients when their life limiting illness is first diagnosed. Patients can meet others, share experiences and learn skills to help improve their quality of life, self-confidence and self esteem .
We offer a variety of services to patients, their carers and families who’s lives are affected by cancer or other conditions.
The centre provides a range of medical, nursing, therapy, social and
support services. After an initial assessment patients will be offered a referral
to the services that best meet their needs. This may be on an individual or
group basis, in the form of an outpatient appointment, short course, day
care or clinic.
Referrals to the Starlight Centre can be made by a healthcare professional
or alternatively contact 01923 330330 for more information.
Services include:
Clinical outpatient appointments with our specialist doctors and nurses
Managing Breathlessness course for both patients and carers
Advice on exercise and rehabilitation programmes from our Physiotherapist
Nurse led Day Care provides social interaction therapiesand peer support to help maintain independence and quality of life
Maintaining wellbeing through meditation, yoga, tai chi and a variety of therapies from our Complementary Therapy team
Occupational Therapy assessment to aid daily living and help maintain independence at home
Advice and information on topics such as benefits, allowances, fatigue management, diet and nutrition
Carer support, either individual or in a group setting
Opportunity to discuss and explore future care needs or wishes
Spiritual care helping to explore spiritual, cultural or religious issues
Opportunity to participate in creative activities
This service has been developed in response to a need to extend hospice care into the community to allow a greater number of patients to be cared for and to die at home, if this is their wish. The service enables patients to have more choice and support during the end stage of their illness.
The Hospice at Home team consists of a Manager/CNS, Team Leader, Nurses and HCA's all trained to provide specialist palliative care. The service operates between 8am-8pm, 7 days a week. The team works very closely with district nurses and other community professionals.
Hospice at Home cares for patients with complex end of life issues, symptomatic or psychological. The team offers personal and nursing care, advice on pain and symptom control, as well as emotional and practical support.
Respite sits can be offered to carers to enable them to have a break. Hospice at Home can respond quickly helping to maintain a patient at home in a crisis, to avoid an unwanted hospital admission or to facilitate discharge from hospital in an advanced stage of illness. This can involve providing personal care and support up to three times daily for 7 days whilst application is made for continuing care.
We have a dedicated advice line for Hospice at Home that can be accessed by Health Care Professionals, patients and carers. The team can be contacted on the advice line - 07940 738125.
For further information contact Hospice at Home on 01923 335380.
An answer phone is available.
Fax: 01923 335381.
The Peace Hospice Bereavement Service offers a wide range of support. Everyone wishing to receive our support must be referred to us by a healthcare professional. This service is available to anyone in Hertfordshire who has experienced a death, not just those connected to patients who have been cared for by the Peace Hospice. This service is free of charge to clients.
Support is provided by trained staff and volunteers and is available to adults, families, young people and children.
Bereavement counselling is provided by a team of accredited specialist bereavement counsellors. Initially 8 x 1 hour individual sessions will be offered.
Our trained bereavement support volunteers offer one to one or group sessions for on-going support.
Referrals should be made by completing a bereavement referral form.
Please email thepeacehospice.watford@nhs.net or fax completed forms to 01923 233561.
Once a referral is received the Bereavement Co-ordination team will contact clients within 20 days to arrange a meeting or telephone discussion.
Bereavement Advice Helpline 01923 229595.
The office is open weekdays between 9am and 5pm. A 24 hour answer phone service is available.
You can contact us on 01923 330330 or email us.
All of our services are offered free of charge to anyone within our catchment area.
The Peace Hospice services are funded mainly by charitable donations.
- The Hospice accepts referrals for all patients with life-threatening disease.
- Patients must be over age 18 and resident within South West Hertfordshire.
- Patients will be accepted with symptom control, psychological or social needs or when those providing day-to-day care assess a need for specialist palliative care.
- Patients must agree to referral.
- Referrals of patients will be accepted from GP's, district nurses, hospital nurses, specialist nurses an hospital consultants.
- You can download a generic referral form or a a bereavement referral form here.