Strathcarron Hospice has a team of clinical nurse specialists who can visit you at home and help you and your family work through any issues that are important to you.

Our CNS team can give you information about your illness and treatment as well as advice on how to get the most relief from any symptoms that you are experiencing.

The team aims to: 

• support people living with specialist palliative care needs in Forth Valley, Cumbernauld & Kilsyth 
• support people living in their own homes through the provision of expert symptom control, emotional and psycho-social support, practical support and future care planning,   
• work alongside primary care and other existing services  
• provide advice and support to health and social care colleagues as requested 
• refer to other Strathcarron Services as required. 

The community clinical nurse specialist team work alongside Consultants and Specialty doctors in Palliative Medicine, Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists, and the Patient and Family Support team. 

Referrals can be made via SCI gateway or a community referral form emailed to [email protected].

If the referral is urgent, or you are unsure about whether to refer or not, please call us on 01324 826222 to discuss this further.

Meet Debbie, a Strathcarron CNS.

She’s been in this role for over 3 years, having worked previously in the Hospice In Patient Unit. We asked Debbie a couple of questions:

1. What does your typical day as a Strathcarron Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in the Community look like?

“Well, firstly there is no typical day. But, usually It'll start with getting into my car to visit patients in their homes. I also communicate, either in person or over the phone with family members, health care professionals and allied healthcare workers.

I also work closely with the primary healthcare team; GP's and Community Nursing teams to support people at home, so I'm liaising with them daily.

2. What is the best part of your job?

I really love visiting someone for the first time. Just seeing how much you make a difference to that person and their family; whether it be making sense of what is happening to them and why, helping to manage their symptoms, arranging carer support, or referring to another service (including Strathcarron Hospice services) which they would benefit from.

There’s of course challenges to navigate. You are a guest in their home when they’re at their most vulnerable, so of course it can bring with it many emotions, which is understandable. It’s a highly emotional time for the person and their loved ones.

Seeing the relief on their faces, knowing that someone is helping them to oversee their care and be there for them, when they need it the most; this is a privilege for me”.

How to refer

Advice on how to refer to all our services