Clinical Services at Forest Holme
Inpatients
Forest Holme is a small 10-bedded unit where we get to know our patients quite well. We aim to be relaxed and flexible and to be open to questions and suggestions. Nursing care is tailored to the patient’s needs and wishes, and friends and relatives are always welcome to assist if they wish.
All patients are under the care of two consultants in Palliative Medicine, and will normally be seen by their consultant at least once a week. In addition there is a Staff Physician and a Senior House Officer, who is a doctor in training. Patients will see a doctor shortly after they arrive and on most week days; in addition, the nurses and doctors discuss problems at least once a day.
The ward staff consists of the Ward Sister, Deputy Ward Sister and a team of staff nurses and auxiliary nurses, who are able ensure that the quality of care provided is consistently high. In addition we have a team of three counsellorsand our own physiotherapist, and have access to occupational therapists, social workers, dieticians, chaplains and other staff from Poole Hospital.
Visitors are welcome at any time, although many patients enjoy a sleep after lunch and we suggest that early afternoon from 1pm to 3pm is kept as a quiet time. Being visited can be tiring and it is often better to limit the number of visitors at any one time and to encourage them not to stay too long. Children of any age are welcome. We have a large sitting room in the ward, and also a conservatory and small courtyard garden if patients or families would like a change of environment. We would ask visitors with cars to be considerate of the needs of others, and to share cars with other family members, or park in one of the local public car parks if there are several family members visiting at the same time.
At Forest Holme, we have access to the full range of investigations offered by the hospital, but our emphasis on comfort and quality of life means that we only request such tests if we believe they will change our treatment. Similarly, we offer a full range of standard medical treatments. However, as our emphasis is on allowing our patients to die peacefully and comfortably, we do not have full resuscitation facilities on site. Patients and their families are always welcome to discuss this with the senior medical or nursing staff if they wish to understand the implications more fully.
It is now national policy that there is no smoking on NHS premises. Furthermore, Forest Holme is fitted with smoke alarms. We therefore request that neither patients nor their visitors smoke within Forest Holme.
Outpatients
Once a patient has been referred to the medical team through the appropriate channels, an outpatient appointment can usually be arranged within a few days.
The outpatient clinic for people with Specialist Palliative Care needs is situated on the ground floor of Forest Holme. Outpatient clinics are held each weekday and patients are seen either by their Consultant or by the Staff Physician.
New patients are normally offered a tape recording of their consultation, for them to take away and keep. Studies have shown that it can be very difficult to remember everything that has been said during an outpatient appointment, and this gives our patients a way of reviewing what has been discussed. Some people also use the tape to help explain to other family members what took place at the consultation. This tape can be used again to record subsequent consultations if they wish.
Outpatients can be supported at home between appointments, if required, by the Community Specialist Palliative Care Team.
Many people who are under the care of the Palliative Care Services also attend Day Care once a week at Lewis Manning House, which is independent charity situated at Evening Hill in Lilliput.
Referrals
We normally accept referrals from GPs, hospital doctors, ward staff and community nurses. We would always expect referrals to have been discussed with the patients themselves.
Referrals can be made by letter or telephone, or can be made on one of our referral forms which are widely available. GPs can make referrals for outpatient appointments through the Choose and Book system.
Information available to patients
We try always to give our patients as much information as they need. In addition, information about diseases and their management is availble from a wide variety of sources, including theTrust's own Health Information and Resource Centre and also other organisations such as Cancer Backup.
In addition we have a variety of leaflets available to explain the services that we provide.
Patients attending medical outpatient appointments at Forest Holme are normally offered a cassette tape recording of the initial consultation, and also subsequent consultations at the patient's request.
There is a weekly meeting of all the professionals who are involved in the provision of Specialist Palliative Care. This is called the MDT (Multidisciplinary Team) meeting. All patients who are under our care are discussed at this meeting from time to time, to ensure that they are getting the best management. Decisions made at the meeting are discussed with the patient by their Palliative Care Nurse Specialist.
Patients in the community are also provided with a Single Assessment Profile (SAP) folder in which face-to-face contacts at home with all healthcare professionals are recorded for future reference.