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University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, University Cancer Centre Hamburg (UCCH)

History

The Department of Oncology, Hematology and BMT with section of Pneumology of the University Medical Center of Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) is an integral part of the “Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum” University Cancer Center Hamburg (UCCH). It has included the Palliative Care Unit since its foundation 2008. The Palliative Care ward is certified by the German Cancer Society (DKG) since 2011.

The UCCH is a network of 27 departments and institutes within the University Hospital which are involved in cancer care and research as well as 22 private practice oncology partners and of 20 affiliated hospitals. The UCCH co-ordinates the interdisciplinary care of tumor patients and co-operates with several other departments and Cancer Center collaborators. It was continuously designated by the German Cancer Aid as an Oncologic Center of Excellence since 2009.

Profile

The Department of Oncology and Hematology provides 142 beds. About 10,300 patients (counted once) with malignant diseases are treated as inpatients in all oncological departments at UKE yearly. The outpatient clinics have about 21,500 patient contacts per year. About 420 health care professionals care for the patients all over the department.

In patients suffering from incurable malignancies, tumor-specific treatment is always combined with supportive and palliative care. The department is QM-certified by the TÜV Rheinland (LGA) and certified as a center of oncology by the German Cancer Society (DKG) with another 17 different entity specific certified centers within the Comprehensive Cancer Center (DKH).

Specialities

In all UCCH departments, palliative care, psychological support and pastoral care are integral parts of patient care. Special support for children of cancer patients is available at the centre for “children of somatically ill parents” by paediatric psychiatrists. Oncologic and palliative care boards offer an interdisciplinary dialog on the complex needs of oncologic patients. A close cooperation with the pain management service of the Department of Anaesthesiology ensures availability of non-invasive and invasive procedures. All specialised departments of the UKE provide 24h attendance for oncologic and palliative patients securing the availability of emergency diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. “Primary nursing” is the basic principle, which means personalised nursing on a one-to-one basis, with a primary nurse caring for “his or her” patient during every inpatient and outpatient hospital stay.

For end of life care, close cooperation with local hospice home services and inpatient hospice institutions is established. If problems cannot be adequately addressed at home, patients can be submitted to the palliative care ward or our 24h emergency unit. A palliative care specialist and a medical oncologist, as well as chaplains, psychiatric and pain specialists are on call 24 hours.

Palliative and Supportive Care

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Specialised palliative care is provided on an inpatient ward, by a palliative care consultation team (single contacts of palliative care physicians), a Multiprofessional Inpatient Palliative Care-Team (daily multiprofessional palliative care integrated in oncologic care), and at the outpatient clinic. Nursing staff and physicians cooperate with social workers, psychologists, chaplains, nutrition specialists, pharmacologists, physiotherapists, music and art therapists in all palliative care services.

The inpatient palliative care ward consists of 12 beds in single rooms all providing the possibility for relatives to stay day and night. The palliative care counselling team and the Multiprofessional Inpatient Palliative Care-Team care for patients all over the UKE. The specialised outpatient clinic closely cooperates with the patient´s home care teams and provides advisory service for cancer patients and their relatives to assure integrated oncologic and palliative care as early as possible.

Palliative care education, staff training programs and an interdisciplinary lecture program for medical students are provided continuously throughout every year. Research projects on symptom control, improvement of quality of life, health care evaluation and patient communication, are currently ongoing.

Additional Contact

Prof Dr. med. Karin Oechsle (Head of the Palliative Care Team) - E-mail

Last update: December 2023

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