Community change for some palliative care

District nurses are to take over the work of a trio of a specialist palliative care staff team working out of Perth’s Cornhill Macmilllan Centre.

Three members of the Marie Curie Fast Track service were based at the centre, part of the Perth Royal Infirmary site, offering help and support to terminally ill patients.

The shake-up was agreed by Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership and does not affect the end-of-life services available at the centre.

A spokeswoman for the Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership said:“Following a redesign of district nursing services in Perth and Kinross, a service which provides support at home for end of life patients in the community is now being delivered by the district nursing service in Perth and Kinross.

“This service, which was formerly run by Marie Curie Fast Track Service, will now be provided by the district nursing teams.

“Patient care will not be affected by this change as the same care and support continues to be provided by our dedicated district nursing teams.”

She added:“This change was part of a redesign of district nursing services in Perth and Kinross to make the best use of resources available to provide flexible, sustainable care for our patients now, and in the future.

“The district nursing service continues to work closely with the Marie Curie Nursing Service delivering the ongoing planned Nursing Service by Marie Curie.”

A Marie Curie spokesperson added: “Marie Curie will continue to work closely with NHS Tayside to deliver care and support to families locally through the overnight Nursing Service.

“From November, the service will be locally coordinated to deliver tailored care and support.”