We have a small, dedicated team of Sue Ryder Nurses, doctors and therapists delivering outpatient clinics at Duchess of Kent Hospice in Reading and at similar units in Newbury and Wokingham. Our aim is to help with your specialist palliative care needs so that you can continue living at home, safely and in comfort.
Our day services support patients socially with fun and interesting activities and groups. Our specialists all work together to give you personal, coordinated care. At Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice we have Sue Ryder Nurses, doctors, diversional therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, our lymphoedema team, dieticians, our chaplain, befrienders, complementary therapists and wonderful volunteers, all ready to help.
We can help in practical ways: ensuring that you are receiving the benefits you’re entitled to, supporting you to arrange holidays, and helping you participate in activities you enjoy.
We give blood transfusions and provide medication to our patients to relieve symptoms. Our goal is to keep you out of hospital for as long as possible. We help to identify when your situation changes, and give advice on the right referrals. Outpatients and day services patients can be admitted to our inpatient unit for symptom management, if needed.
When the time is right for you, we can discuss ideas like Advance Care Planning, Do Not Attempt Resuscitation orders and Preferred Places of Care so that your wishes are known, planned for and respected.
Physiotherapy
There is a physiotherapist based at each of our sites in Berkshire. You can be treated as an inpatient or visit the day services, or we’ll arrange for them to visit you at home. We’ll work with you for as long as you need us.
We focus on mobility, posture and positioning, individual exercise programs, pacing, respiratory care, pain and neurological symptoms. Sue Ryder physiotherapists are also experts at showing your family and carers ways to maintain your independence, for as long as possible.
Occupational Therapy
We have four part-time specialist occupational therapists and one part-time therapy assistant who work across our three sites in Reading, Newbury and Wokingham. As a team, we help over 500 patients every year.
Occupational therapy shows you how to maintain your quality of life and stay independent. We demonstrate safe techniques and advise you and your carers about adaptive equipment to make life easier. If you’re ready to be discharged from the hospice and return home, we can support you and ease that transition.
All of our specialists work together to give you the best care when you need it. We work closely with our nursing colleagues, social workers, dietetic team, lymphoedema therapists, physiotherapists, volunteer coordinators and other members of the Sue Ryder team.
The team also communicate closely with social services and community nursing teams to provide a coherent, joined-up service to our patients.
Palliative care patients are referred to a dietitian for a number of reasons, including weight loss or weight gain. You might experience taste changes during treatments like radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Our dietician can help to modify your diet for texture, fibre content, or fat content. Sometimes they help with enteral nutrition, also called tube feeding, if you’re having difficulty swallowing and finding it hard to get enough nourishment from food.
When you’re ill, sometimes you experience social and emotional difficulties around food. Our dieticians are highly skilled in supporting you and your family through this, providing practical suggestions too.
What is lymphoedema?
Lymphoedema is a swelling that develops due to a build-up of fluid in the body's tissues. It happens when the lymphatic system, which is responsible for draining fluid away, doesn’t work properly. The swelling is usually in an arm or leg, but can affect the head, neck or trunk. Lymphoedema has a number of causes, but it’s often a side effect of cancer surgery and radiotherapy, sometimes many years after treatment.
Lymphodema symptoms
The swelling can make the area feel uncomfortable, heavy and achy. It may restrict your movement, and lead to repeated infections in the swollen area. As well as physical difficulties, lymphoedema can cause emotional distress, and issues with body image and self-esteem.
Help and treatment for lymphoedema
Lymphoedema can’t be cured, but we have lots of strategies to control and reduce the swelling, and relieve distressing symptoms, especially with early diagnosis and advice. Our specialist therapists can show you self-treatment strategies including skincare, ways to reduce the risk of getting cellulitis (infections), and self-massage techniques and exercises.
We may suggest wearing specialist compression garments and sometimes using other techniques such as lymphoedema taping, Manual Lymphatic Drainage massage, pneumatic pumps and bandaging. Our therapists and Sue Ryder Nurses can help with all of these.
Lymphoedema support and care in Berkshire
The Sue Ryder Lymphoedema Team in Berkshire provide a specialist physiotherapist and nurse-led service to around 500 patients each year.
We offer outpatient and day patient care at Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice in Reading, Sue Ryder Wokingham or Sue Ryder Palliative Care Hub Berkshire in Newbury. You can also be treated as an inpatient or at home.
The team actively supports the British Lymphology Society's annual Lymphoedema Awareness Week by holding fundraising and educational events for healthcare professionals to raise awareness of the condition.
Call the Lymphodema team on 0118 955 0413 or email sryc.srlymph@nhs.net
The Berkshire Lymphodema Support Group
This support group meets monthly and welcomes anyone with lymphoedema to come along. There are speakers, discussions, and the chance to meet others facing similar issues.
For details about this support group, visit their Facebook page or call 07926 627491.
At Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice in Reading, our expert care teams provide round-the-clock assessment and specialist care for you.
Our highly skilled medical staff relieve your physical symptoms such as pain, breathlessness and nausea, whilst our Family Support and Spiritual Care teams are on hand to offer emotional support for you and those close to you.
We pride ourselves in making our hospices feel like a home away from home. All beds are in private rooms with en-suite facilities.
Our trained volunteer Befrienders provide emotional support for everyone we care for at Duchess of Kent Hospice and those using day services. They’ll talk, listen, or just keep you company. They’re here to support you and your families, to help if you’re feeling lonely, or to give your carer a little time to themselves.
Befrienders can also accompany you on short trips, to help you maintain your independence. You might choose a trip to the shops or to the cinema, for example.
Find out more about befriending.
Life-changing conditions can be hard to cope with alone. If you are under the care of Sue Ryder, our support services, which include trained counsellors, social workers, and a Spiritual Care Lead are here to talk to you about your situation and feelings; to offer advice, practical help, and understanding.
We can meet with you and/or your family members (in person or virtually), to listen and support how you’re feeling, and discuss any worries you have about the future as they relate to loss and grief. If you would like to explore any of these, please contact a member of your local Sue Ryder team.
Our Online Bereavement Community is also a useful place to ask questions, get things off your chest or discuss your experiences with people who understand what you’re going through.
At times of fearfulness and anxiety, spiritual support can be a huge comfort. Our Spiritual Care team brings peace of mind to patients, families and carers, of all faiths and beliefs. We use our in-house experts and will also bring in additional help to get you the specific support that will comfort you.
Our unit in Newbury is located at West Berkshire Community Hospital, in the Rosemary Centre. This is the base for our community and day services teams for Newbury and the surrounding areas.
Our specialist team of Sue Ryder Nurses, doctors, healthcare professionals and trained volunteers are able to provide a number of specialist services in clinics, in your own home, or through day services. They aim to support you and your family to give you the best possible quality of life.
Our team consists of:
- Sue Ryder Nurses
- Occupational therapists
- Physiotherapists
- Lymphoedema therapists
- Complementary therapists
- Specialist palliative care doctor
- Diversional therapist
- Day services volunteers
- Befriending volunteers
- Access to a psychologist, family support and bereavement counsellor and a dietician
Choosing between day services or treatment at home
If you are well enough to travel, you can attend the day services unit where you can access a number of specialist services during one visit in a relaxing and friendly atmosphere.
If you can’t travel, our professional staff and befriending volunteers can visit you in your own home.
How referrals work
A healthcare professional who’s involved in your care, like your GP, district nurse, or hospital staff, refers you to the community and day services team. Our team does an initial assessment and then we agree on a plan of care together with you.
Inpatient beds
Sue Ryder provides hospice inpatient care for those living in the Newbury area at its Duchess of Kent Hospice in Reading. There are also beds at West Berkshire Hospital supported by Sue Ryder consultants.
Contact details
Call 01635 273 725 or email enquiries.berkshirewest@sueryder.org
Find us at:
Sue Ryder Palliative Care Hub Berkshire
West Berkshire Community Hospital
Benham Hill
London Road
Berkshire
RG18 3AS
Sue Ryder Wokingham is located in the grounds of Wokingham Community Hospital. It is the base for our community and palliative care team supporting patients who live in and around Wokingham.
Specialist services in clinics or at home
Our team of healthcare experts and trained volunteers provide a number of specialist services in outpatient clinics. They aim to support you and your family with expert care if you have a life-limiting condition. They help you to have the best quality of life possible whilst living with the effects of your condition.
Our team includes:
- Sue Ryder Nurses
- Occupational therapists
- Physiotherapists
- Lymphoedema therapists
- Complementary therapists
- Specialist palliative care doctor
- Diversional therapist
- Access to a psychologist, family support and bereavement counsellor and a dietician
- Volunteer drivers
- Befriending volunteers
The unit offers a wide variety of specialist services in one location if you’re well enough to travel.
Our professional staff and befriending volunteers will also visit you in your own home.
How referrals work
A healthcare professional involved in your care refers you to us, for community or outpatient services. This might be your GP, district nurses, or hospital staff.
After a first assessment, we’ll agree on a plan of care with you that meets your goals.
Inpatient beds
If you live in or near Wokingham, we provide inpatient beds at Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice in Reading.
How to contact us
For any general questions, please call us on 0118 949 5030.
If you work in healthcare and want to refer a patient to us, call 0118 955 0444 or email enquiries.berkshirewest@sueryder.org.
Find us at:
Sue Ryder Wokingham
Wokingham Hospital
41 Barkham Road
Wokingham
Berkshire
RG41 2RE
