Services in Mid Essex

This free service has been commissioned to support adult carers. 

The offer includes:

• One to one information and support to carers 
• Support via phone, text, email or face to face visits including home visits
• Groups and activities for carers
• Help to get Carers Trust grants
• Referrals to carefree breaks
• Free SIM cards

The offer in Southend includes funding for breaks for carers, support to help carers to access their own appointments and one-off respite break funding.

Bliss offers a wide range of free services for the families of premature and sick babies including a video call support service.

The support group is a way to learn more about living with a lung condition and share your experiences and stories with others.

The British Lymphology Society provides a directory of Lymphoedema treatment services.

Use the website address above to find your local services.

The Children's Community Nursing Service team provides nursing care for children and young people with a health need including palliative care in their own home or the community and includes training and support for families and carers. The primary aim is to prevent hospital admission, attendance and length of hospital stay through supporting a family to care for their child at home or within their local community.

This service covers Mid Essex excluding Halstead.

Information and support about stoma care. There is a 24 hour helpline.

Crohns and Colitis UK provides information about and helps to find support from others in the Crohn’s and Colitis community.

The advice line provides access to a member of the hospice team who is able to give advice on symptoms, nursing care and other needs relating to life-limiting/palliative care needs and available between 8.00am and 8.00pm, 7 days a week.

Please call the advice line when:

• advice is needed regarding hospice care and support
• advice or information is needed regarding the management of symptoms
• concerns about symptoms that need to be addressed before your next scheduled visit/appointment
• reassurance is required for someone who is anxious about a change in their condition

The specialist Inpatient Unit (IPU) is located in the hospice building in Broomfield, Chelmsford. It provides short-term care for patients needing symptom control, respite, rehabilitation, or end of life care.

There are 10 comfortable rooms, all with Freeview TV, phones, internet access, en-suites, as well as their own private patios, overlooking our beautiful gardens. One of the rooms is specifically designed for young people and their families. 

The team include Clinical Nurse Specialists, Registered Nurses and Health Care Assistants. They are experts in pain and symptom control and provide:

• Specialist Physiotherapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Complementary Therapy
• Social Work
• Counselling 
• Family Support Practitioners

The team provides clinical service for palliative care patients in their own home.

Hub hours for referrals are Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm.

The Hospice Rapid Access Service team is a 24 hour services for people with a primary health need, who are rapidly deteriorating, and likely to be entering the terminal/palliative care phase of their illness. 

Havens Hospices, St Lukes Hospice and Farleigh Hospice work together as a collaborative to ensure consistency of care across all of Mid and South Essex.

The Hospices will assess the care needs of the patient and source care that meets the holistic needs of the patient.  This could be care in the home, on an in-patient unit, or in a Nursing Home.

Havens Hospices – havenshospices.rapidaccess@nhs.net (Southend, Castle Point and Rochford)

Farleigh Hospice -  contactteam.fh@nhs.net (Chelmsford, Maldon and the Dengie, Braintree and the surrounding areas)

St Luke’s Hospice - Stlukes.oneresponse@nhs.net (Basildon and Thurrock)

Ileostomy and Internal Pouch Association, known as IA, has been specialising in supporting people living with an ileostomy.

IA has not only an extensive network of local groups across the UK and Ireland but also the majority of volunteers are living life after surgery.

Little Havens provides specialist care and support for babies, children and young people requiring specialist in-patient care for symptom management, respite and end of life care.

LymphConnect is an online platform developed to help manage lymphoedema or lipoedema, understand more about the condition, share experiences and get support and advice.

The team provides clinical expertise, support and practical help for those with Lymphoedema and live across Mid Essex.

Macmillan provide cancer information, support and help everyone with cancer live life as fully as they can.

Visit the website to get help with paying bills, advice on benefits or treatment, or to just chat.

Marie Curie provide support for patients and carers through terminal illness.

Find information and support through the telephone helpline and online chat via their website.

Other services include Marie Curie nurses, Hospice care, helper and companion services.

Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity supports families who have a child aged 0 to18 years with a life-threatening or terminal illness.

lymphoedema only service

This service is for any persons over the age of 18 and supports the management of complex wound care, via clinic based appointments, or homevisits depending on the need of the service user.

Please complete the SystmOne referral form.

Together for Short Lives have a helpline and family support hub to provide help and advice for those caring for a child with a serious illness.

Young lives vs Cancer support young people under 25 with cancer, and their families, to get the help they need during their cancer treatment and beyond, including bereaved families living with emotional distress.