NHS The Primrose Unit
The Primrose Unit at The Princess of Wales Community Hospital is a six bedded NHS Specialist Palliative Care Ward. The Unit is staffed with registered nurses and medical support is available from a Consultant in Palliative Medicine.
The Primrose Unit is not part of Primrose Hospice & Family Support Centre and is not operated by the Hospice. The Primrose Unit is a NHS ward which was opened in 2004 using funding from Primrose Hospice & Family Support Centre. This is why it was originally called ‘Primrose at the Princess’; it is now known as ‘The Primrose Unit’.
Primrose Hospice staff and volunteers work closely with The Primrose Unit. The Family Support team support patients and their families while they are on the ward providing counselling, benefits advice and complementary therapy. Our Family Support team may also receive referrals to support the loved ones of people who have died at The Primrose Unit.
Primrose Hospice has the support of the Community Palliative Care Consultant, who provides clinical advice and attends Multi-Disciplinary Team Meetings. Our Clinical Team liaises with the team on The Primrose Unit to aid smooth transition for patients who require admission and to facilitate a patient discharge. Our Team also attend the Primrose Unit weekly Multi-Disciplinary Team Meetings.
All patient rooms are single ensuite and are equipped with air conditioning, a profiling bed, fully adjustable patient mobile chair, TV, radio and refrigerator. Each room has an adjustable chair/bed for when visitors wish to stay overnight. There is a communal kitchen and lounge where visitors can make their own refreshments. Visiting hours are not restricted, and concessions are available for car parking.
Referrals to the Unit are made by Healthcare professionals including GPs, Consultants from Acute Trusts and Specialist Palliative Care CNS’s. Admission would be considered for patients for periods of symptom control and crisis intervention when this is difficult to manage in another setting. Some “day case” procedures such as blood transfusions can be undertaken on the unit.
Care on the Primrose Unit is holistic and individualised with the patient placed at the centre of their care. Families, relatives, and carers are encouraged to contribute to help us make the patient’s stay more meaningful. This individualised care approach means that medication, hygiene and comfort routines are tailored around the patient’s individual needs.
Patient care is co-ordinated with input from other members of the multi-disciplinary team including Specialist Nurses, Physiotherapists, Speech and Language Therapists and Dieticians amongst others, all meeting regularly to discuss and co-ordinate bespoke plans of care.
We understand that some people may like to make a donation to The Primrose Unit after receiving support. The Primrose Unit is an NHS ward and when someone makes a donation to The Primrose Unit it isn’t ringfenced to The Primrose Unit, so your donation would go to the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health Trust to be used for a range of projects
Primrose Hospice staff and volunteers have connections to The Primrose Unit; our Family Support team support patients and their families while they are on the ward providing counselling and complementary therapy. Our Family Support team may also receive referrals to support the loved ones of those who have died at The Primrose Unit. If you would like to make a donation to Primrose Hospice & Family Support Centre you can donate online here or call our fundraising team: 01527 889796.
