Who are we?

Our Community Team is a specialist team of nurses, doctors, social workers, physiotherapists and volunteers who visit patients in their own homes to help them remain as active and well as possible despite their illness.

Our aim is to help patients stay in their homes if that is their wish.

We are also there as a support for families/carers to help with any issues which may arise.

We work closely with other professionals involved in a person’s care including his/her GP, district nurse, social services and the hospital team, aiming to complement their work, but not to replace or duplicate it.

We are a registered charity and our service is provided entirely free of charge and is available to people within the London boroughs of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey.

Our service provides:

Advice on treatment of pain and other distressing symptoms should they occur, e.g. shortness of breath, anxiety or sickness
Emotional support and help with any concerns of patients, their families and carers, including children
Information and advice on practical issues such as help in the home, housing or financial matters
Respite for relatives; our trained volunteers are able to “sit” with patients allowing the relative a few hours break.  They may also, for example, provide transport to outpatient appointments
How do we help?

Our first visit is to introduce ourselves and to get to know the patient and his/her family/carers.  Depending on what help is needed, we then contact by telephone or visit as often as necessary.  For patients we are already visiting, a member of the community nursing team is on call between 9am and 5pm each day including weekends.  There is also an out of hours telephone advice service provided by the qualified nursing staff on our inpatient unit.

If a patient’s illness stabilises and requires minimal specialist advice, we may discharge the patient, but would resume contact, perhaps months or years later, if the situation changes.

If you would like to visit the Hospice, you would be welcome to do so, but please telephone first to make an appointment.

We are constantly working to improve our service and would welcome feedback, good or bad.  If you have a complaint, please report it in the first instance to Anne Lister, Nursing Director, at the Hospice.  If subsequently you wish to pursue the complaint, you may write to Douglas Bennett, Chief Executive, who will refer to the Board of Trustees and the National Care Standards Commission, as appropriate.