ST BARNABAS: Raising awareness of heart failure and services hospice offers

The week was designed to raise awareness of heart failure, including the symptoms, importance of an early and accurate diagnosis and the need for optimal treatment.

I thought it would be a great opportunity to inform readers of my column about the advanced heart failure service we provide here at St Barnabas House.

The service is now well-established having been formed in 2016 as part of our strategy to better reach and provide more specialist care for those with other end-stage conditions, as well as our core cancer patients.

Since its inception the service has expanded which means we now have two advanced heart failure nurses who work closely with the cardiology team at Worthing Hospital, our palliative care doctors and nurses at the hospice, GPs and other healthcare professionals.

The service provides advice and support about symptom management, as well the opportunity to discuss treatment options and future planning.

Find out more about the service at www.stbh.org.uk/heartservice

Finally I just wanted to mention that the theme for our hospice outreach project this month is Dying Matters, and we are encouraging people to get involved by writing on our ‘Before I die’ board which will be on display at various locations across our area throughout the month.

Today Worthing town crier Bob Smytherman,will be writing on the board.

Find the full schedule at www.stbh.org.uk/outreach.

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