Our staff
Our team
The team at Forest Holme is led by four Palliative Medicine Consultants: Dr Saskie Dorman, Dr Amy Pharaoh, Dr Beverley Lee and Dr Kirsty Lewis, along with three specialist doctors: Dr Kevin Bolster, Dr Kate Smeaton and Dr Rachel King.
All work within the hospice, hospital and community settings.
The team also includes:
- Hospital and community specialist palliative care nurses
- Hospice at home team
- Health care assistants
- Therapists in occupational therapy, lymphoedema and complementary therapy
- Psychological support team: counsellors, psychologists, bereavement support and social work support
Each week, a MDT (multidisciplinary team) meeting takes place. Patients under our care are discussed at this meeting, with members from each of the above teams, to ensure that they are getting the best management. Any outcome from these consultations is discussed with the patient.
Community Specialist Palliative Care Team
There is a team of specialist palliative care nurses who are based upstairs at Forest Holme Hospice. They link with GP surgeries in Poole, Wimborne, Cranborne and Isle of Purbeck areas and will see people at home, in clinic and in community hospitals. They have regular meetings with the primary health care team including your GP.
They are generally available Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4.30pm and can be contacted on their own individual telephone line. Your community specialist palliative care nurse will provide you with this number when they first meet with you.
For more urgent queries, a 24hr advice line is available on 0300 019 8115.
Hospital Palliative Care Team
This team consists of specialist palliative care nurses and facilitators in end-of-life care. They are based upstairs in Forest Holme. They visit in-patients at Poole Hospital.
The team is available from Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm.
Lymphoedema Team
The lymphoedema team provides advice and management of secondary lymphoedema, which is caused by cancer or its treatment.
The team is based upstairs at Forest Holme and is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Referrals are usually via the GP, consultant, community or hospital nurse.
Counselling and Psychological Support Team
The counselling service is based at Forest Holme and provides support and counselling to people under the care of the hospice or living with a diagnosis of cancer, as well as for those who have experienced the bereavement of a loved-one.
Complementary Therapies Team
The Complementary Therapy team is based at Forest Holme and provides a variety of therapies to help reduce the stress and anxiety associated with cancer or other serious illness.
Forest Holme In-Patient Unit
Forest Holme Hospice has eleven beds, enabling us to provide expert care to people with advanced disease causing complex problems. The ward has a mixture of single and shared rooms, all equipped to the same specifications with televisions and en-suite facilities.
There is a comfortable lounge area and kitchen, while a quiet courtyard garden provides a peaceful and relaxing environment for all.