St Margaret’s In-Patient Unit (IPU)
St Margaret’s IPU is a specialist, palliative care unit, covering the whole of Somerset. The IPU is an acute In-Patient Unit, consisting of 8 single rooms and two bays which can accommodate a maximum of three patients each. Depending on the patient’s needs and availability, the staff will decide the best area for your stay.
You could be admitted to the unit for symptom control, for example, to help with pain relief or nausea. Patients admitted for symptom control have a short stay (around 2 weeks). They will then be reviewed daily until they are stable to either return home or be assessed if they need more care (package of care) or placement.
If you have been admitted for end-of-life care, then you will be reviewed to see if remaining on the IPU is suitable or if you need to be transferred for more long-term care.
We do have a smoking room available for patients. We do ask the patients who use this room can independently walk there or have family who can assist, as staff may not be available to facilitate this. Relatives must go off site if they wish to smoke.
When patients are admitted, could you please ensure that they have their own toiletries and clothing, and that personal washing is taken home. For relatives, the IPU does have a self-contained, one bedroomed apartment. This will be offered by the nursing staff, depending on availability, for relatives of patients who are approaching their last days of life.
Who could be involved in your care
- Doctors
- Health Care Assistant (HCA)
- Multi-Disciplinary Team Assistant (MDTA)
- Lymphoedema
- Adult Social Care
- Sunflower Centre
- Occupational therapist
- Discharge facilitator
- Complementary therapy
- Physiotherapist
- St Margaret’s Advice line
- Spiritual care
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
- Family and patient support services
- Kitchen/chefs
- Pharmacist
- Nurses
- Housekeeping
Future Planning
Whilst a patient is on the IPU, the discharge team will introduce themselves early on. This is done so we can facilitate a smooth transition back home or to an alternative, suitable place of care for you.
As a team, we plan your discharge around your needs and have the resource to assess for equipment needs and care provision, within the IPU. Different members of the Multi-Disciplinary Teams can assess you while you are on the IPU to ensure everything is in place if you are discharged back home. We will also supply medication for discharge, explain any changes and arrange a district nurse referral if you go home with a syringe pump, wound or catheter care.
We start looking at discharge planning early, as sometimes it can take a while to secure a package of care or to arrange for equipment, such as a hospital bed and mattress to be delivered. If we later decide that discharge is no longer appropriate, then we only need to make a phone call to cancel the discharge process. You will be asked about how you had been managing before you were admitted and if we can help by organising more care or equipment for you.
If you feel that you may be entitled to funding, please ask a member of the discharge team or Adult Social Care and we can direct you with how to apply. If you are discharged home, our community team (CNS) will help monitor your care and if required refer you to be admitted again. St Margaret’s team will also ensure that carers and/or family have all the training needed to ensure a successful return home.
We advise that advanced care planning is paramount irrespective of your place of care. Advanced care planning provides you with the opportunity to discuss your future care wishes and document them. They include consideration to your likes and dislikes, your preferred place of care and who is important to you. Our team are happy to support you in this process.
Please do not hesitate to ask any member
of the St Margaret’s team if you have
any questions or concerns.