MacMillan Nurses and palliative care

[Bbbananas]

Am I right in thinking that MacMillan Nurses are usually involved in patients with terminal illness - to provide support and palliative care? i.e. those with cancer, but where the prognosis is doubtful that they will survive their cancer within the forthcoming months - as opposed to those with cancer, but who are expected to have an expected good prognosis following surgery and/or therapy?

[Richard1966]

No. Macmillan nurses deal with any and all cancers and at all stages.

[Sqad]

salla...yes I agree with Richard.....one doesn't have to be terminal

[Bbbananas]

Mmmm... must be just this area then... our McMN's deal mainly with terminal & palliative cases - with just the ocasional case of "cancer, but expected to get better". Maybe staff shortage, lack of personnel?

[Mamyalynne]

you`ve nailed the reason yourself there in some areas they are very thin on the ground and probably they have to restrict their care accordingly, not because they want to.

[luxury]

Hi Salla,

We have the Macmillan Nurses in at the moment as my mum in laws just started the death rattle stage of her cancer.
They've been beyond amazing, and have been there since the dx 8 months ago.

I had the pleasure to work with Macmillan Nurses when I was a palliative care worker myself and I dont recall them nursing those with good prognosis.

L.

[Mamyalynne]

Oh luxury I was in your situation exactly a year ago with my husband and my heart goes out to you, and yes the nurses were wonderful.

M

[Bbbananas]

It's my best friend's father who has been referred on to the MacMillans. (He's suposed to be giving her away at her wedding in less than 3 weeks' time). I have tried to reassure them that they are wonderful people & will try their very best to allay any fears, to liaise with the family & be with the family most steps of the way.
I am sure in this instance the diagnosis is terminal - but I just wanted to know for sure before I discuss it with my friend.
It does seem to be a bit of a grey area, and a lot of the guidelines seem to depend on staff availability, locality etc.

[Richard1966]

Macmillan is an interesting charity. It traditionally pump primes an NHS post. They they will pay for a nurses salary for three years, then the NHS picks up the post from then on. Macmillan then go on to pay for another new nurse for three years and so on.

The NHS gets a free nurse for three years with the only condition being that the Macmillan tag stays with the nurse for ever. In some hospitals palliative care for cancer patients takes place alongside palliative care for other illnesses, MND, COPD for example, so it snot uncommon to see macmillan labeled nurses working in palliative care settings.

Macmillan are also loaded, with huge reserves that they have no way of being able to spend. They spend over �100 million each year, which is great, but their income far exceeds this.

[ethandron]

the macmillan nurse was the first port of call for our family when my sister was diagnosed with an aggresive brain tumour two years ago, but to be honest, it was the nurses attached to the surgery who we had most contact with. the macmillan nurse organised an electric hospital bed, an electric bath hoist, all the other gadgets which made life a bit easier, but the surgery nurses (i don't know if they were actually 'district' nurses) were there twice a day, every day and gave practical, hands on support to my 3 nieces, as well as totally professional and gentle treatment to me sister, and built up a real rapport with the whole family. my nieces decided they couldn't let my sister go in to a hospice and nursed her at one of their houses. i absolutely cannot fault the system which kicked in when that decision was made, and i don't think my sister or any of our family could have had better treatment or support had we paid millions for it. there was someone there within the hour, day or night, when morphine or anything else was needed.
i hope your friend and her family receive the same care we did salla, be it through macmillan or their surgery.

[campbellking]

Macmillan nurses at our hospital see anyone with a terminal diagnosis, but tend to focus their activities more with those who are having problems with gaining adequate analgesia, coming to terms with their diagnosis, or want to be discharged home quickly as they have a very short life expectancy

[Bbbananas]

Thanks to all of you for your answers x