Table 3 The patient/haematology team relationship
Close bonds and trust, and holistic care ‘they’ve [patients] got this relationship that’s gone on for years and years with the [haematology] team and they know them well and feel safe and secure with them’ (SPC nurse 3) ‘[haematologists] develop really close working relationships with these patients, get to know them really well, so it doesn’t always seem easy or appropriate to hand them over to palliative care’ (SPC doctor 3) ‘having built up that relationship over years there is the not wanting to let go…not wanting to give up, there is the strong “let’s just try something else” on the part of the clinicians and patients’ (SPC nurse 10) ‘they [patients] become very co-dependent with the staff on the ward and the other way round, there is a very close personal relationship… and [haematologists have] that satisfaction of providing all of the care, yeah, holistic care, they’ve done everything for the patient, really.’ (SPC nurse 12) |
Contact with community services ‘the majority of haematology patients tend to go back to the ward for any care really. That seems to be their first port of call, rather than accessing community services…they feel the haematology professionals understand their condition more than the generalists in the community’ (SPC nurse 1) |