Hospital-based care
It’s rare for private hospitals to have their own supportive care team – but private patients need and expect a high standard of supportive and palliative care. We’ve created an in-house provision at The Christie Private Care clinic (TCPC), which is transforming outcomes for cancer patients, whatever stage they are at.
Why we created this service
In 2010, we were approached by the oncology team at TCPC for help with their palliative care provision. They knew that having the right interventions at the right time could dramatically improve quality of life for their patients, but did not have the capacity to run them, and were concerned that their patients were missing out. So we agreed to create an in-house and OOH provision, to help TCPC patients manage any pain and symptom problems resulting from their treatment.
How we support the TCPC team
We have provided TCPC with a team of three consultants and two clinical nurse specialists. At least one of our consultants is present at the clinic every weekday, and they also provide advice and support for clinicians and patients via a 24/7 out of hours service. Our team treat patients at every stage of the cancer journey, from those who need help managing the side effects of their treatment to those reaching the last days of their lives.
What this means for clinicians and patients
Evidence suggests that early involvement of high-quality supportive care can prolong lives. Our presence makes this a reality for TCPC patients, and provides support for the clinicians who treat them.
Patients receive expert treatment and support that will help them live well with cancer, or manage a palliative diagnosis with immediate access to pain and symptom control expertise. This helps take the fear away from their situation, as well as making them more comfortable. And the oncology team have the reassurance that help and advice with their patients’ care is always available.
With the number of people living with cancer in the UK set to double, from 2 million today to 4 million by 2030, the need for supportive and palliative care is only likely to increase. By providing this support, we are helping become future-fit.
We have also developed a similar service for The Alexandra Hospital Cheadle, and are looking to widen this provision to other hospitals across the UK.
