For carers: more about our care

If you have a partner, family member or friend who is a patient of St Luke’s, we might be caring for them in one of three ways. They might be based entirely at home under the care of our community specialist palliative care nursing team (or ‘community team’). They might be a day patient attending our Therapies and Rehabilitation Centre. Or they might be an in-patient. They might also move among these types of care, perhaps more than once, depending on their symptoms and the progress of their illness.

More facts about patients and their care

• Because someone is under the care of St Luke’s, it doesn't necessarily mean they are about to die, or that they will die soon.
• Most St Luke’s patients live at home and many are looked after entirely at home throughout their illness.
• Some patients living at home are under the care of our community team on and off for many years – the team dips out of the picture if the patient is managing well and their symptoms are under control.
• Most day patients attending the Therapies and Rehabilitation Centre attend for between six and 12 weeks.
• It is typical for someone to spend a short time with us as an in-patient while we deal with particular symptoms or problems and then return home or attend as a day patient.
• It is also typical for someone to be admitted as in-patient more than once over the course of their illness.
• A third of patients coming into our in-patient unit are discharged following their initial treatment. The average length of stay as an in-patient before going home is 14 days.