The hospitals of Southmead and Frenchay occupy large sites and are located approximately 4 miles apart. There is a palliative care team on both sites, each consisting of one consultant, one specialist registrar, three clinical nurse specialists and multiprofessional team members. In 2012 these hospitals will merge into a new build on the Southmead site
Southmead Hospital, North Bristol NHS Trust
Southmead hospital runs a large cancer service for patients with malignant disease, although specialised oncological treatment is usually provided by the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre. The Palliative Care team works in an advisory capacity with about 20% of referrals being for patients with non-malignant disease. The team has considerable experience of patients with renal failure as it works closely with the large renal unit; one of the pilot sites for the development of a renal integrated care pathway for end of life care. Two palliative care outpatient clinics are run at Southmead every week. Frenchay Hospital, North Bristol NHS Trust Frenchay is a hospital with specialist services in plastic surgery and burns, spinal surgery and neurosciences (including neurosurgery, neuropsychiatry and neurology). It is a regional trauma centre and also has a dedicated 8-bedded palliative care inpatient unit. Patients are admitted to the unit from the community or transferred from other Frenchay wards and local hospitals for symptom control and/or terminal care. There are approximately 230 admissions per annum. One half of the unit is used for outpatient pain clinics run by the pain clinicians and there are close working relationships between the two teams. In addition to the inpatient unit, the palliative care team provides an advisory service to the hospital wards.