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Improving the out-of-hours experience for patients being treated for terminal illness, and their carers, is very important to us. We work with palliative care professionals across Devon to help us do this.
Our service for palliative care patients
We give urgent priority to all calls for palliative care patients. This means that a GP or nurse will aim to telephone within 20 minutes and visit (if appropriate) within one hour.
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Contact Devon Doctors
0845 6710 270
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Depending on the symptoms, the call may be passed to a local community nurse
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The call is given an urgent priority and passed to a GP
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A GP will telephone and assess the problem. They should have access to a special message regarding the patient's treatment and wishes. We encourage practices and other health professionals (e.g. community nurses, hospices, Marie Curie etc.) to provide this to help the out-of-hours GP. The GP can provide the following...
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Advice over the telephone
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An urgent home visit
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A prescription of medecine or dose adjustment to provide symptom control
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Details of this contact are sent to the patient's own GP the next working day.
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