ANNUAL REVIEW master Final3a - St Vincent's University Hospital

St. Vincent’s Healthcare Group Limited - Annual Review 2007
Department - Medicine
Department of Palliative Medicine
Staff:
Consultant:
Dr Eoin Tiernan
Clinical Nurse Specialists:
St. Vincent’s University Hospital:
Ms Millie Devenish
Ms Siobhan Hollingsworth
St. Vincent’s Private Hospital:
Ms. Carmel Houlihan
Olga Price
Ms Barbara Whyte
Ms. Rachel Algar (part-time)
Specialist Registrars: Dr Carol Stone- 01/01/07 to 30/06/07
Dr Ashling O’Gorman – 01/07/07 to 31/12/07
Registrars: Dr Brenda O’Connor – 01/01/07 to 30/06/07
Dr Tim Price – 01/07/07 to 31/12/07
Principal Psychologist: Ms. Ursula Bates (2 sessions per week)
Senior Social Worker: Ms Aine Canny
Care of the Dying Project
Facilitator: Ms. Pauline Ui Dhuibhir (until Nov ’07)
Administrative Support: Ms Joan Stokes Mr Olajide Ogidan
2007 was another busy year for the Palliative Medicine Department seeing the total number of referrals
across St. Vincent’s University Hospital and St. Vincent’s Private Hospital exceed 1000 for the first time
(1,038 referrals in total) – this represented an increase of 12% in the total number of referrals compared
with 2006. 18% of total referrals had a non-cancer diagnosis.
The “Link Nurse” programme, established in 2006, was continued in 2007 supported by nursing
administration. It includes a programme of monthly meetings set up for nurses interested in becoming
palliative care link nurses. The role of the link nurses is to develop their knowledge in palliative care issues
and to share that knowledge with other ward staff via formal and informal teaching. The aim of the
programme is to promote the hospice model of excellence in end-of-life care throughout SVUH by fostering:
• Knowledge about symptom management;
• Skills in communicating with the dying patient, the family and the multi-disciplinary team;
• Awareness of ethical issues regarding interventions and patient preferences;
• Excellence in spiritual and psychological care.
This programme identifies 2 nurses from each ward who act as local “champions”/resources for palliative
care issues in general.
The “Care of the Dying Project”, which was launched in 2004, was completed in November, with the Liverpool
Care Pathway operational across all general wards in St. Vincent’s University Hospital.
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