Our aim is to treat patients and their families with respect and dignity, communicate with compassion, and provide excellence in the assessment and management of palliative and end of life symptoms.
We work alongside our hospital, hospice, and community multi-disciplinary colleagues.
Patients in hospital at any stage of their advanced, progressive, or life-limiting illness can be referred to the team for assessment, advice, or support.
As part of our service, we can:
• advise you about pain and other symptoms you may have
• support you emotionally and psychologically
• provide support, advice and information for your family
• assist with decisions about your care and planning for the future
• offer support as you make plans to move to your preferred place of care
The Butterfly Resources are part of Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust commitment to support patients and families with respect, dignity, and compassion when the possibility of dying soon is likely. The resources were developed following feedback from patients, families, and staff.
The initiative includes Butterfly signs on doors and curtains to ensure privacy and to be respectful at this time, as well as a range of resources which patients, families and relatives are invited to choose from by a leaflet provided by the ward teams or Hospital Palliative and End of Life Care Team.
This includes ways to stay connected and create memories, as well as helpful and useful things, care, and comfort items.
To get in touch about the Butterfly Resources, please email butterfly.
You can also support the team by creating resin hearts and syringe driver bags. Guides on how to do this can be found on the right of this page.
“The feedback about the Butterfly Resources has been incredible. Staff and families have really appreciated the Butterfly signs outside doors and curtains and valued the resources.
"For example, we provided silver and gold ‘loving hearts’ and heart shaped tea light holders for a speedily arranged wedding on the ward. Recently, we helped a family record a message onto a digital card, so that their loved one would be able to hear their voices any time of the day or night.
"On Christmas Day, we gave out ‘memory gifts’ of ‘loving hearts for your love, a candle to not forget, a decoration to remember and seeds to grow and cherish”
Sarah Russell, Nurse Consultant, Trust Lead Palliative and End of Life Care