AAC WEST

AAC WEST, as one of 15 national specialised services, is able to carry our Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Assessments. We receive funding from NHS England to meet the needs of both children and adults in the South West of England.

Who can refer?

Referrals to AAC WEST will only be accepted from speech and language therapists working with people with communication difficulties.

If you do not have a speech and language therapist involved with your care, then please contact your GP who can refer you to your local service.

Please note we do not accept referrals from Independent Therapists; you must be employed by a CCG or Statutory Body to make a referral. 

How do I refer?

All referrals should be made using the appropriate referral form which must be fully completed, please ensure they are completed electronically and not by hand. They should also be accompanied by a short video and preferably by any relevant and current reports. Please note that if you are re-referring your patient, but they have not been seen by our service for more than 3 years please complete the full referral form to give us more up to date information to aid our assessment.

Download:

New/Full Referral Form (To be completed by Speech & Language Therapists only)

Current New/Full Referral Form being used and accepted by the service is Referral dated – January 2025

Symbols for supporting consent conversations about information sharing.

(LSLTs will need to create additional symbols e.g. for specific family members as needed.)

Re-referral Form (To be completed by Speech & Language Therapists Only)

Existing Service Users - If mounting only is required please use the following referral form (Can be completed by anyone e.g Family members, Friends, Care staff, Teachers etc):

Please note: we are unable to process any referrals that do not have the GP details or patients NHS number or are hand written. Any referrals received without these details will be rejected.

What about funding?

People who meet the criteria for a specialist assessment will have their communication aid assessment and any equipment identified at the end of the assessment funded by AAC WEST.

To find out more about the criteria visit the Communication matters website.

Our service is nationally commissioned by NHS England, and the service specification can also be seen on the NHS England Website.

The hospital specialist palliative care team works alongside ward doctors, nurses and other health care professionals in supporting people with life-limiting illnesses (cancer and non-cancer) and their families. We can discuss illnesses and treatments that may be offered in as much or as little detail as our patients wish and we will support and listen to any concerns.

We can offer advice about managing symptoms and provide support for psychological, spiritual, social and practical concerns. Where appropriate we work closely with our colleagues in the local community palliative care team and hospice and with other specialists involved in your care. Our aim is to achieve the best possible quality of life for patients with life-limiting illness and their families.

The team work Monday to Saturday and some bank holidays 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. The team can be contacted by hospital teams outside of these hours for advice and support to ensure the best care for patients.

Consultants

Dr Anitia Brigham - Clinical Lead

Dr Laura Bernstein 

Dr Maggie Presswood

Dr Natasha Lovell

Specialist Doctors

Dr Katie Markkanen

Dr Jennifer Gardiner 

Clinical Nurse Specialists

Shona Mcintosh and Lisa Thomas Trust End of Life and Palliative Care Lead Nurses

Carol Cappell

Amanda Herman

Alice Monument

Lucy Rolt

Kate Allchorne

Elaine Walsh

Emma-Claire Breen

Administrator: Hannah Hopewell

Telephone: 0117 4140519

Email: palliativecare@nbt.nhs.uk

We will respond to all messages as soon as we are able but please note this may not be until the next working day. 

Conditions Treated:

• Colorectal diseases
• Colon and rectal cancer
• Inflammatory bowel disease (colitis and Crohns disease)
• Diverticular disease
• Colostomies and ileostomies
• Anorectal disorders (haemorrhoids, fissure, fistula, rectal prolapse, faecal incontinence)
• Hernias

What you can do to practically care for someone who is in their last days and hours of life

The Helix Centre website offers some practical advice to those caring for someone in their last days to hours of life. Please visit there website for more information. 

Financial Support 

Managing finances can be a major problem for patients and families, due to loss of income because of the inability to work. Additional expenditure can arise from the cost of travel, disrupted routine, cost of equipment, aids or additional household appliances, special dietary requirements, child care and increased household bills.

The Palliative Care Team can support patients and their families to understand what is available and how to apply for non-means tested benefits such as Attendance Allowance or Personal Independence Payment (PIP). 

The Citizens Advice Bureau can be contacted for advice. Contact number: 08444 994718 www.citizensadvice.org.uk 

For guidance and claim forms for benefits visit the DWP website www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/disability
Freephone: 0800 882 200

Macmillan Cancer Support 

The Macmillan Cancer Support Helpline provides practical, medical, emotional and financial support. Contact 0808 808 0000.
Macmillan also produces a booklet called ‘Help With the Cost of Cancer: a guide to benefits and financial help for people affected by cancer. Macmillan Benefit Advisers are based at Southmead Hospital on certain days. They can advise patients who have a cancer diagnosis about eligibility for any benefits or grants.

Some people may be eligible for a Macmillan grant which is a one-off payment for adults, young people or children with cancer, to cover a wide range of practical needs. This can include things such as heating bills, extra clothing, or for a much-needed break. Find out more information by visiting the Macmillan website. at www.macmillan.org.uk

Age UK provides information and fact sheets for older people on topics such as benefits, community care and housing. Information line freephone: 0800 009966 or 0800 1696565 or visit the Age UK website. 

Carers UK offers advice and support for carers throughout the UK, including help with benefits and finances. Carersline freephone: 0808 808 7777 or visit the Carers UK website.

Carers Information 

A carer is someone who regularly provides a lot of help for, or looks after a partner, relative or friend to support them in returning to and remaining at home. We recognise that caring for someone with palliative or end of life needs can be difficult. The local authority has a duty to assess the needs of carers. Find out more about carers information.

In the first few days after a death it is often the responsibility of the closest relative or friend to make necessary practical arrangements. The staff at North Bristol NHS Trust will aim to help in every way possible. For the most up today information please see the attached leaflet below.

These are the referral criteria for the Bristol M.E. Service, previously known as  the "Bristol CFS/ME Service". We are a regional multidisciplinary service covering  Bristol, North Somerset, and all of Gloucestershire. The team consists of Psychologists, Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists. We are specialists in supporting patients with post-infective fatigue syndromes and ME/CFS, which was previously known as CFS/ME until the publication of the NICE Guideline NG206 in October 2021.

Referrals from Primary Care will only be accepted via the NHS e-referral system. 

Referrals from Primary Care in Bristol should use the BNSSG referral management system 
https://remedy.bnssgccg.nhs.uk/adults/pain-management-and-mecfs/mecfs/

Severn Pathology have introduced a streamlined screening request system that is available on ICE as a profile called CFS/ME. Using this profile will ensure all the blood tests required by the NICE guideline are done.

General Practitioners referring to the Service can download the referral criteria and referral checklist below.

When sending referrals from outside the BNSSG, please print out copies of the blood tests and results for our files. 

We are able to reply to queries from General Practitioners via email BristolME@nbt.nhs.uk

The British Association of Clinicians in ME/CFS (BACME) is a multidisciplinary organisation which exists to promote and support the delivery of evidenced based treatment for children, young people and adults with ME/CFS throughout the UK. Bristol M.E. Team members are active within BACME and have contributed to the BACME guides. The BACME ME/CFS Guide to Symptom Management is written for healthcare practitioners, and includes guidance about the use of medication and is available here: https://bacme.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/BACME-Guide-to-Symptom-Management-Sept2022.pdf 

As a specialty we routinely achieve the national government targets of referral to treatment in 18 weeks.

We also work to a 13 week referral to treatment target.

For Clincians referring to the Network

We deliver specialist vascular surgery; this includes the inpatient management of arterial and venous disease, including abdominal aortic aneurysm, carotid artery disease and peripheral vascular disease in the Major Arterial Centre (MAC) in the Brunel building, Southmead Hospital, Bristol.

The MAC brings together all inpatient elective and emergency arterial surgery for the Bristol Bath Weston Vascular Network. 

The MAC provides 24 hours a day 7 days a week access to a specialist vascular multi-disciplinary team including vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists and specialist nurses. The MAC also includes the provision of a ‘hybrid’ operating theatre and provides complex aortic endovascular treatments for the whole of the South West.

Outpatient clinics

Outpatient clinic locations are available in the local hospitals, attended by the vascular consultants who patients currently see.

The clinic locations include:

• Southmead Hospital
• Bristol Royal Infirmary
• Royal United Hospital Bath
• Weston General Hospital
• Cossham Community Hospital
• Melksham Community Hospital

There is a ‘hot clinic’ Monday to Friday mornings at the MAC (Southmead Hospital) for patients requiring urgent review but not necessarily admission.

Referring to the vascular service

Referrals should be made via NHS eReferrals where possible, or alternatively by email to nbn-tr.bbwvascularnetwork@nhs.net or fax 0117 414 9378.

Urgent referrals

Urgent patients can be referred via the vascular network office telephone 0117 414 0798 or by discussion with either the General Surgery/Vascular Surgery Registrar on call or the Vascular Consultant on call – both can be contacted via our  switchboard on 0117 9505050.

Booking team for Outpatients

Please refer via NHS eReferrals.

Booking team for Inpatients

Elizabeth Hedges, telephone: 0117 4140847

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