Palliative care services — Auckland (North and West)
Palliative care services support people and their whānau who are dealing with a serious condition which cannot be cured.
Contact us
- North Shore Hospital
- 09 486 8900
- Waitākere Hospital
- 09 839 0000
Where to find us
- North Shore Hospital
- 124 Shakespeare Road
- Takapuna
- Auckland
- Waitākere Hospital
- 55 Lincoln Road
- Henderson
- Auckland
Services we provide
Palliative care acknowledges that you as the patient are first, and foremost, a person and that when you live with a life limiting illness you can experience suffering on a very personal and individual level. It also acknowledges that you are part of a whānau that will be living this experience with you.
The Palliative care services team can provide relief, comfort, information and expertise in a number of different ways.
- Treatment of pain and other symptoms, such as feeling sick (nausea) and throwing up (vomiting), breathing difficulties and sleeping problems, to improve your comfort.
- Emotional and spiritual support for you and your whānau. Serious illness can be frightening and can open up lots of emotions — sometimes thoughts and feelings can be troublesome. Having someone to talk with can often make a major difference.
- Information about medications and treatments and the reason they are used.
- Guidance and support with decisions and choices about treatment and care which may be difficult or confusing when you have a life-threatening illness. They may help facilitate conversations around advanced care planning.
- Help with understanding the healthcare system, which can be confusing and overwhelming especially if you are under the care of several different teams.
- Help with coordinating care at home and in the community.
- Support with end-of-life issues. When death is close it is important that your care in hospital is focused on keeping you comfortable and meeting the needs and wishes of you and your whānau.
- Along with social work services, the Palliative care services team can provide support with worrying areas such as finances, work, or relationship problems to both find solutions and resolve concerns.
The Palliative care services team is:
- available between 8am and 4pm, Monday to Friday
- closed public holidays.
When palliative care can be helpful
Palliative care can be helpful in all stages of serious illness. It may be called upon earlier to support you through the diagnosis of a life limiting illness, interventions and therapies aimed at controlling your illness such as:
- chemotherapy
- surgery
- radiotherapy
- renal dialysis.
Palliative care can reduce the physical, emotional and spiritual impact on you and your whānau. It can provide direct input, advice, support and recommendations to relieve the suffering associated with symptoms, concerns, fears, you or your whānau may have.
Palliative care also supports colleagues who may be directly responsible for your care such as those in community primary care, such as your healthcare provider, or those that are hospital-based, such as renal teams, oncologists and surgical teams.
Referral information
We accept referrals from healthcare professionals involved in your care, as long as the responsible medical team is aware of and has agreed to the referral being made.