Medical Director, Dr Gillian Weighill, describes medical care at the Hospice.
"The Martlets used to care mainly for terminally ill cancer patients. Over the years the care that the Hospice provides has been made available to a far wider range of people, including those suffering from a number of other debilitating and life-threatening conditions.
Modern medicine can now offer better pain relief and symptom control. This means that the quality of life for people with terminal and debilitating illness can be improved.
Better medical care, combined with nursing services provided in the home, has given patients more choice about the care they receive.
Community support for the people with terminal illness has improved and GPs and hospital doctors are better equipped to manage symptoms. This means that more people can stay at home longer. It also means that patients who do come to the InPatient Unit at the Martlets are often in the later stages of their illness. They need more specialist support and assessment and an individual programme of care built around their needs.
There is now a greater emphasis on rehabilitation through occupational therapy and physiotherapy and through meeting people's psychosocial and spiritual needs. Patients want to be more able to strive to get better as far as possible.
Our holistic approach allows everyone to realise their full potential, within the limitations of their physical illness.
Hospice medical care is about looking for little victories and taking pleasure in the good things that can be achieved.
I am proud of what we are able to offer here and feel confident that we will continue to find ways to make our service better and enable more people to benefit from the care we provide".