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Palliative care

What we do

We care for patients with serious or life-limiting illnesses. Our goal is to achieve the best quality of life for our patients and their families.

The palliative care team includes consultants, specialist registrars, clinical nurse specialists and psychosocial workers. They work in all areas of the hospital including outpatients.

All patients we see remain under the care of their ward team, while we provide a specialist advisory service that:

  • supports you and your family and carers to help you manage your illness
  • helps you to manage your symptoms, such as pain, sickness and breathlessness
  • explains the treatment options you may be offered
  • offers information on social, practical and financial issues
  • provides specialist advice to those involved in planning your discharge from hospital

As part of King’s Health Partners, we are actively involved in teaching and research to improve the quality of care we provide.

King’s Macmillan Information and Support Centre

The centre offers a welcoming and relaxed environment for patients, carers, family and friends of people with cancer or other long-term conditions who are looking for information about and support for their condition.

Based in the Cicely Saunders Institute at King’s, we offer face-to-face advice as well as access to online support networks and safe, reliable internet guidance.

If you are living with the consequences of a difficult diagnosis or would like to discuss any related issues, drop in or contact us at the King’s Macmillan Information and Support Centre.

Location

First Floor, Cicely Saunders Institute, Bessemer Road, SE5 9PJ

Contact Details

Patient information leaflets

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Palliative Care Team – King’s College Hospital217 KB
Taste for pleasure160 KB

This service is booked via King’s internal specialties and local community palliative care services only.

We treat any patient with advanced disease, including:

  • cancer
  • motor neurone disease
  • cardiac, liver or renal failure

Patients will usually have a limited prognosis and the focus of treatment will usually have changed from curative to palliative. However, early referrals for patients on active treatment, given with palliative intent, are encouraged.

Booking a patient at King’s

Routine Referrals

This service is available only for internal departments at King’s. For queries call the Palliative Care Team on 020 3299 4060 during working hours, 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday.

GPs and other referrers outside of King’s should complete the pan-London specialist palliative care referral form below.

Emergency Referrals

This service cannot be booked by GPs.

For emergency referrals, local community palliative care services can contact the following:

  • During working hours, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, please call 020 3299 4060
  • Out of hours, please contact the switchboard and ask for the on-call doctor on 020 3299 9000

Other Queries

For all other queries, please contact our team via the following:

Referral forms

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Pan-London All Age Specialist Palliative Care Referral Form864 KB

Key Clinical Staff

Name Role
Dr Sabrina Bajwah Consultant and Honorary Senior Lecturer
Ms Leanne Boyle Clinical Nurse Specialist
Ms Margaret Boyle Clinical Nurse Specialist
Ms Debbie Brown CNS Palliative Care
Dr Rachel Burman Consultant
Mrs Kay Casson Clinical Nurse Speciailist
Mrs Lyn Chandler CNS Palliative Care
Dr Polly Edmonds Hon Senior Lecturer/Consultant
Dr Louise Exton Consultant
Prof Irene Higginson Professor of Palliative Care
Mrs Connie Jackson Team Lead
Miss Joy Karpathiotaki Associate Nurse Specialist
Mrs Nikki Larking Social Worker
Ms Mahi Mahadevanachari Palliative care clinical nurse specialist
Dr Steve Marshall Social Worker
Dr Helen McGee Consultant in Palliative Medicine
Dr Wendy Prentice Consultant in Palliative Medicine
Dr Fiona Ring Consultant in Palliative Medicine
Mrs Cristi Sheridan-Hicks Clinical Nurse Specialist
Prof Katherine Sleeman Honorary Consultant
Ms Sarah Spencer-Adams Clinical Nurse Specialist
Mrs Helen Stephens Clinical Nurse Specialist
Dr Ruth Ting Consultant in Palliative Care
Dr Natalie Webber Consultant
Mrs Esther Willson Palliative Care CNS