Every year, King’s treats around 200 children and young people with palliative care needs. Despite excellence in care and clinical outcomes, King’s had no dedicated in-house paediatric palliative care service to provide a co-ordinated response to the complex requirements of these patients and their families.
We were therefore delighted to receive a grant of £120,000 from the True Colours Trust to fund a Clinical Nurse Specialist for two years. This highly trained specialist nurse will develop a new service which will:
- Plan and deliver care to enhance the quality of life of young patients with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions and their families.
- Work with clinical teams across child health to champion paediatric palliative care and provide training and support.
- Link with other palliative care providers, primary care and community organisations to ensure continuity of care for these patients.
The service is just getting underway, and we look forward to reporting back on the difference we're making together for children at King's.