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Palliative Care

Paediatric Palliative Care and Bereavement Support Team

Palliative team 2

Our philosophy is to put the child & family at the heart of our care to make a positive difference through life, death and bereavement.

Click on the image below to watch our introductory video:

Paediatric palliative care screenshot


What we do

We care for children with life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses, such as genetic or metabolic conditions, seizure disorders, heart or lung disease, cancer, neurological conditions, infectious diseases or trauma. We also offer a perinatal palliative care service for those who have learned their unborn baby has a life-threatening medical condition.

We can be an extra layer of support and comfort for the entire family during a difficult time. Our help and involvement can start early, from the point of diagnosis, sometimes alongside curative care, as well as when the direction of care changes and a child is near the end of life. Our support continues into bereavement care, so the full title of our team is the Paediatric Palliative Care and Bereavement Support Team.

How can we help you?

We recognise that each family is unique. Our aim is to:

  • Find out what matters to your family and help you form goals of care that are right for your child and for you.
  • Focus on your child's and your family's quality of life
  • Facilitate communication between your family and your child's healthcare teams
  • Support you with difficult conversations and complex decision-making (sometimes known as parallel planning)
  • Help prevent, manage and ease symptoms that cause pain or discomfort
  • Provide emotional, psychological, social, spiritual and bereavement support
  • Assist with care planning meetings and promote collaborative continuity of care

We work closely with community services including GP's, Community Paediatricians, Children's Community Nurses and Community Palliative Care Teams, as well as other hospitals and hospices local to you.

We also provide advice, education and support for healthcare professionals caring for seriously ill children. We undertake research and audit; participate in development of local and national care policy guidelines, and advocate on behalf of children and families faced with life-limiting illness and conditions.

Wellbeing for parents

You can view a new video from the team about parents' and family members' wellbeing during COVID-19 by clicking here.