Community Team :: Our Community Team :: Isabel Hospice - Local Care for Local People :: Enhancing the quality of life of patients living with cancer and other life limiting illnesses in eastern Hertfordshire.

Our Community Team is made up of both our team of Clinical Nurse Specialists and our Hospice at Home
Our Community Team is made up of both our team of Clinical Nurse Specialists and our Hospice at Home
Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS)
Our CNS's are qualified nurses who are highly trained in specialist palliative care. They are available to those diagnosed with a life-limiting illness and are able to offer advice on pain and symptom control as well as emotional, psychological and spiritual support. They work very closely with local GPs, District Nurses, hospital consultants and other hospital staff to offer the most appropriate support to the patient and their family. They are able to refer to other parts of the Hospice service as required.

In addition to our Team which is based in Welwyn Garden City, we also have nurses based in Standon. Between them, they provide care throughout eastern Hertfordshire.

The nurses are supported by a Consultant in Palliative Care who is able to give medical advice and see patients if required, and by highly trained volunteers who work directly with patients in their own home.

We offer our patients outpatient appointments with our Consultant and our team of doctors. For those who find it difficult to travel, the Clinical Nurse Specialist can arrange a visit by a doctor, and more recently our Consultant in Palliative care, to the home.

Hospice at Home
Hospice at Home offers practical nursing care to patients in their own homes, often avoiding the need for admission to hospital or to the In-Patient Unit. Patients and their families also receive psychological and emotional support from our team of highly skilled nurses and nursing assistants. The team works closely with our CNSs, local GPs, District Nurses and Adult Care Services in order to provide the most appropriate care for the patient.

Our Hospice at Home service may enable patients to remain in their won home at the end of life if this is their chosen place of care. In situations where the patient is already at our In-Patient Unit or in hospital, the team are sometimes able to facilitate a rapid discharge tot he home in accordance with the patient's wishes, and the patient and the family are then supported by the team.

In addition to providing end of life palliative care, they are also able to offer care in a crisis situation and to help out when additional support is needed or to offer cover so that the carer can have some respite whilst knowing that their loved one is in safe hands.

For further information or advice, contact the Community Team on 01707 382500.