HSE marking Palliative Care Week in Kilkenny and South-East

Palliative Care Week is taking place in Ireland this year between Sunday and Saturday, September 7-13.

The theme for 2025 is Palliative Care: Living for Today, Planning for Tomorrow. The HSE’s South East Palliative Care Centre, located at the Dunmore Wing in University Hospital Waterford, will also shortly mark its fourth year in full operation as an inpatient facility.

The South East Palliative Care Centre is the hub for palliative care for counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford and South Tipperary and has built on the existing Consultant led integrated model of care in place across acute hospitals and community healthcare services in that region.
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Staff at the South East Palliative Care Centre support Community Specialist Palliative Care Teams across counties Carlow/Kilkenny (based in HSE Community Care Centre, James’s Green, Kilkenny, Kilkenny), South Tipperary (based in the HSE Community Care Centre, Western Rd., Clonmel), Waterford (based in the Centre) and Wexford (based in Ely Hospital, Wexford).

Palliative Care Week 2025
Speaking about Palliative Care Week, Consultant Physician Palliative Medicine, University Hospital Waterford Dr. Brian Creedon says:

“Palliative Care Week is part of a campaign in healthcare to raise public awareness and increasing understanding of palliative care and its benefits. Its primary audience includes those who could benefit from palliative care, health and social care professionals, the wider public and communities across the island of Ireland.”

“It ties in with our work at the South East Palliative Care Centre in:

Providing care for individuals to meet their specialist palliative care needs and support their families, and caregivers.
Delivering care that involves physical, psychological, spiritual, and social support and
Enhancing quality of life, managing symptoms and providing end of life and bereavement care if required.

“Our services are delivered throughout the South East, including the community, the home, our South East Palliative Care Centre (inpatient unit and day service) and acute hospitals.”

“We are also committed to ongoing education, research, and collaboration with healthcare professionals and other stakeholders, including charity partners.”

South East Palliative Care Centre
The Centre occupies the ground and first floor of the five storey Dunmore Wing at University Hospital Waterford (UHW).

The ground floor (Oak Ward) of the South East Palliative Care Centre (SEPC) features 20 inpatient bedrooms (with individual patio gardens) for patients requiring the expertise of a specialist palliative care multidisciplinary team.

Day services in palliative medicine, facilities for outpatient appointments and the base of the WHM’s office and the Waterford Community Specialist Palliative Care Team home care service feature on the first floor (Beech Ward).

The Waterford Hospice Movement (WHM) offices are also based in the Centre. The WHM continues to provide patient comforts, equipment, amenities, complementary therapies, counselling and support services for patients and their families known to the SEPC service, whether in their own homes or availing of care in the Centre.