Palliative Care
Palliative care is an approach that aims to improve the quality of life of patients and their families facing a life-limiting illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other distressing symptoms whether physical, psycho-social or spiritual.
Palliative care:
- uses a team approach to address the needs of patients and their families, including bereavement counselling, if indicated;
- will enhance quality of life, and may also positively influence the course of illness;
- is applicable early in the course of illness, in conjunction with other therapies that are intended to prolong life, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and includes those investigations needed to better understand and manage distressing clinical complications.
World Health Organization, 2006
In Oxford we are fortunate to be able to work with Sir Michael Sobell House, a comprehensive specialist palliative care service, in a building at the Churchill Hospital, jointly funded by Oxford University Hospitals and charitable contributions.
A large part of the charitable contribution is made by Sobell House Hospice Charity. Sobell House is also a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Palliative Care. The adjacent Sobell Study Centre enhances clinical care, research and teaching.
Our team
The Clinical Director of Sobell House Palliative Care Service is Prof Bee Wee working alongside Consultants in Palliative Medicine:
- Dr Mary Miller
- Dr Aoife Lowney
- Dr Jane Henderson
- Dr Jane Stickland,
- Specialty Dr Sarah Hanrott.
The service is supported by a multi-professional team including:
- Chaplaincy
- Physiotherapists
- Community Palliative Care Specialist Nurses
- Art/Music Therapists
- Complementary Therapists
- Social Care Managers
- Psychological Therapies
- Lymphoedema Team
- Bereavement Service
- Voluntary Services
Sobell House has an inpatient unit and day service available.
24-hour palliative care advice
John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre
24-hour palliative care advice is available for patients:
- Monday to Friday 8.30am 6.00pm
- Tel: 01865 221741 (JR)
- Tel: 01865 223585 (Churchill / NOC)
- Saturday, Sunday, Bank Holidays 9.00am - 4.30pm: 01865 757036
- A senior doctor in Palliative Medicine is available via switchboard for urgent out of hours advice.
For more information please visit: www.sobellhouse.org
Horton General Hospital
24-hour palliative care advice is available for patients from Katharine House Hospice.
Tel: 01295 811866
For more information please visit: www.khh.org.uk
Find us and contact us
Sobell House is based at the Churchill Hospital.
Sobell House website - www.sobell-house.org.uk
Tel: 01865 225860 (Sobell House)
Email: sobell.advice@nhs.net
For maps of the hospital, information about transport and parking and contact details, please use the link below.
How to find the Churchill Hospital
Links