Primary palliative care services in the ACT - clinical services

Community Nursing and Allied Health teams give care to people who may have palliative care needs. We work with your GP who gives you medical support. We will refer you to a palliative care service if we can’t manage your symptoms. You can talk with a community nurse for more information.

Community Care Program

The Winnunga Nimmityjah Health and Community Service Supportive Care Clinic provides palliative care support. Please talk to your GP or phone the Winnunga Health Clinic to make an appointment.

Phone number:  02 6284 62222

Services: Monday to Friday 9 am - 5 pm

Winnunga Nimmityjah Health and Community Service Supportive Care

The ACT Motor Neurone Disease (MND) service provides care and support to people with MND. Their team includes doctors, social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, dieticians, and a MND Regional Advisor (from MND NSW). 

ACT MND help people to continue doing activities that are important to them. They help people to have the best quality of life and manage their symptoms and can assist with coordination of care, helping people to get the care they need, when they need it, including referrals. 

The MND clinic is based at the University of Canberra Hospital in Bruce. 

If you live outside the ACT, you can use the ACT MND clinic for advice. The clinic will refer you to your local area for follow up of medical and allied health needs. 
 
Your GP or specialist can refer you by contacting Clare Holland House, or via Community Health Intake (02) 5124 9977.

For more information, please contact the MND clinic coordinator on (02) 5124 0232.

Service hours are Monday – Friday 8:30 am- 5:00 pm

Renal supportive care is a personalised care program that cares for people with kidney disease. The clinic will work with you to find out what your symptoms are and help you manage them. The team works alongside palliative care to help you have the best quality of life and plan for your future.

The renal supportive care team can involve:

• you, your family and/or your carer
• your kidney doctors including a kidney doctor with a special interest in renal supportive care to help you manage difficult and complex symptoms
• a renal supportive care nurse to help manage symptoms and coordinate your care. They are also a point of contact for you, your family and/or carer if you have questions about your kidney disease, medicine, symptoms or care. Your renal supportive care nurse can also help you with advance care planning
• a palliative care specialist who can help you manage your symptoms
• a social worker who can help you face emotional, practical and social changes that come with kidney disease and chronic illness 
• a renal dietitian that can help you have a healthy diet, with strategies to help with nausea, poor appetite, constipation, dry mouth and/or weight loss
• a spiritual care giver who can help you by:
  • linking medical information with you values and quality of life needs
  • exploring meaning in illness
  • providing faith support if you want it.
    (This is a multi- faith and non-denominational service.)

The clinic is run through the Canberra Health Services Renal Outpatient Department.
Your kidney doctor can refer you to our service.

For more information, contact the Renal Supportive Care Nurse on 02 5124 2413 or email Renal.Supportive.Care@act.gov.au

Service hours are Monday – Friday 8:30 am- 5:00 pm