- Reference Number: HEY215/2026
- Departments: Oncology (Cancer Services), Palliative Care Team
- Last Updated: 31 January 2026
Introduction
Palliative care is an approach that aims to improve the quality of life of patients and their families who are facing problems associated with life-limiting illness.
This leaflet has been produced to give you and your relatives / carer general information about the Specialist Palliative Care Team within the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Most of your questions should be answered by this leaflet. It is not intended to replace the discussion between you and your doctor but may act as a starting point for discussion. If after reading it you have any concerns or require further explanation, please discuss this with a member of the healthcare team caring for you.
The Specialist Palliative Care Team
The Hull University Teaching Hospitals Specialist Palliative Care Team consists of a number of Macmillan Clinical Nurse Specialists, Consultants in Palliative Medicine and a Palliative Care Coordinator. We also train doctors in palliative medicine as they work as part of our team.
The Specialist Palliative Care Team are members of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT), providing expert knowledge in the management of patients with palliative care needs. We see patients with either cancer or non-cancer illnesses. We work closely with other health care professionals including pharmacists, dietitians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, chaplains and social workers.
How the Specialist Palliative Care Team can help you
The Specialist Palliative Care Team will work alongside and in addition to the other teams caring for you.
We aim to:
- Provide advice on any pain, symptoms or concerns you may have
- Give you the opportunity to talk through any information you have been given and provide further information as needed
- Offer emotional support to you and your carer / family members
- Help you make informed decisions about your care
- Coordinate care and provide a link with other professionals
- Advance care planning to help you plan for your future care and what you may or may not want if your health were to deteriorate
Contacting The Specialist Palliative Care Team
The Specialist Palliative Care Team work 7 days a week (8.00am to 6.00pm) including Bank Holidays.
You can contact the Specialist Palliative Care Team on either Tel: 01482 461146 or Tel: 01482 461147
If we are not in the office, please leave a message on the answer phone and one of the team will return your call as soon as possible.
The Specialist Palliative Care Team visit and provide advice to patients in hospital, but do not visit patients in their own home. Once discharged from hospital we also hold Consultant-led out-patient clinics, which are held at the Queen’s Centre at Castle Hill Hospital and also at Dove House Hospice, Chamberlain Road, Hull.
Out Of Hours Palliative Care Advice
Your GP or specialist palliative care team can create an Electronic Palliative Care Coordination System (EPaCCS) record to summarise your condition and management plan for healthcare professionals involved in your care.
Once discharged from hospital, if you require Specialist Palliative Care advice at home during the night or at weekends you should contact your community nursing team or GP.
Other useful contacts: ………………………………………………………………….
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Useful Addresses and Contact Numbers
The Macmillan Information Centre is based in the main reception of the Queen’s Centre, Castle Hill Hospital.
The Macmillan Information Centre provides a drop-in service as well as a telephone service on Tel: 01482 461154. These services are available Monday – Friday between 9.00am to 5.00pm. Please note that the Macmillan Information Centre is not open during bank holidays or weekends. However, advice is available on the website; http://www.macmillan.org.uk
Alternatively, there is a free-phone national help line available Monday to Friday between 9.00am to 8.00pm on telephone number Tel: 0808 808 0000.
You can also write to: Macmillan Cancer Support, 89 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7UQ
General Advice and Consent
Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet, but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.
Consent to treatment
Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats you, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to you. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.
The information you receive should be about your condition, the alternatives available to you, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:
- you must be able to give your consent
- you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
- you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person
Information about you
We collect and use your information to provide you with care and treatment. As part of your care, information about you will be shared between members of a healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet. Your information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service, and to help with research. Wherever possible we use anonymous data.
We may pass on relevant information to other health organisations that provide you with care. All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your doctor, or the person caring for you.
Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about you. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You.
If you or your carer needs information about your health and wellbeing and about your care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.
