Children's Holistic Integrated Palliative Care Service (CHIPS)
A specialist service providing expert palliative care support for babies, children and young people with serious and life-threatening conditions.
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Contents
Overview
CHIPS is a regional service supporting babies, children and young people with serious and life-threatening conditions across the North East and North Cumbria.
Palliative care aims to enhance quality of life for children with a serious or life-threatening condition.
This care includes the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing of the child or young person and their family. The service will also make sure care and support continue at the end of life.
Every family is unique and so ideas and needs for palliative care are wide ranging.
CHIPS can provide some support, and then withdraw from involvement unless more support is needed or provide a regular support as needed by the family.
Support available
The service offers:
- general advice and support for teams, families and children with serious and life-threatening conditions
- an introduction to palliative care for children and their families at the time it is needed (whether that be diagnosis or another point in their illness)
- ongoing palliative care support for families
- support with planning ahead and making decisions
- help managing complex symptoms
- support for families whose child is deteriorating and may be reaching the end of their life
- help coordinating and supporting end of life care, whether that is at home, hospice or hospital
- bereavement support and signposting
- help teaching and training teams and individuals
Who can access the service
Children and young people aged 18 and under, who have a condition considered life threatening or life limiting.
The service works with young people aged 18 and over as part of a transitional service into adult care.
The parent or carer(s) must request support from CHIPS.
How to access the service
A referral can be made by contacting nuth.chipsnurses@nhs.net.
A referral form can be sent out if appropriate.
The case is then discussed.
If further information is needed, the parent may be asked toattend a virtual meeting to discuss CHIPS' input. An agreement is then made.
In urgent end of life referrals, a phone call can be made for immediate response to 0191 917 7570 or 0191 917 7572.