Category: Hospice News

Grantham’s ground-breaking “hospice in the hospital” is the clear winner for the End-of-life Care Development award at the Building Better Healthcare Awards 2015.

The unit at Grantham and District hospital is the first of its kind in the UK and has been recognised for its innovative approach to patient experience at an awards ceremony held last night.

The hospice in a hospital beat off competition from across the country to win the best End of Life Care project, being recognised for its unique approach of providing care to patients under the responsibility of GPs but with access to hospital nurses, doctors and therapists.

The purpose designed £1.2 million six-bedded community hospice opened in September 2014 as part of a joint venture between St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, and Lincolnshire South West Clinical Commissioning Group.

It harnesses the very latest thinking and research, putting the project at the forefront of best practice by adopting a novel approach to design to improve end-of-life care across South West Lincolnshire.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have been announced as the clear winners of this prestigious award,” said Michelle Webb, Director of Patient Care at St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice. “It demonstrates that when organisations work collaboratively great things can be achieved which enhance the services that we are able to provide to patients and their families.”

Representatives from both St Barnabas Hospice and the local NHS worked with the leading healthcare research think-tank, the King’s Fund, to develop an approach to hospice design that extended best practice.

The hospice was drawn up by the interior design and landscape teams at Franklin Ellis Architects in Nottingham, the project led by Associate Director Andy Dowding – who sits on the board of a hospice himself.

He explained: “The way we deliver end of life care to people is a hugely sensitive issue, but it’s wrong to assume that we can’t design these environments without flair or imagination. If anything, these elements become even more important because people need to feel welcomed.

“I’m immensely proud to have been involved in all of these projects. It has been a privilege to work alongside healthcare professionals who want to make sure that patients are treated with the utmost dignity in surroundings appropriate for them, their families and the community at large.”

Ian Hayden, facilities manager at Grantham and District Hospital, said:

“In short, the opening of the Hospice in the Hospital was not the end of a project but the start of a shared journey to ensure that regardless of location or diagnosis, patients are afforded the care that they require to die peacefully and live well until they die. The unit provides services for our local community, closer to home for our patients and their families.”

The Building Better Healthcare Awards judges added:

“The old medical assessment unit has been transformed into a beautiful and tranquil space, both internally and externally. The bedrooms are of a good size with tranquil views, which is just what you would want, and patient privacy has been considered. The garden is lovely and there are many small seating spacing.”

Val Blankley, Improvement and Delivery Manager for South West Lincolnshire CCG said:

“We’re so pleased to have won this prestigious award. We’re very proud of the success of the partnership between the NHS and St Barnabas, and I have personally enjoyed being part of the project team to develop such a unique facility.

“Our aim was to develop not just a great facility, but something extraordinary of which the local community can feel proud, and this award proves that we have done that. The hospice is widening local access to services and offering those living in the community with life-limiting illnesses a far wider choice of where and how they want to die.”

The Chairman of the Trustees, Bob Neilans, welcomes Chris Wheway into his new role

St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice has appointed Chris Wheway as its new chief executive.

Chris is currently the Divisional Director of Urgent and Planned Care for Derbyshire Healthcare Foundation Trust, and will take up his post on 2 November.

Chris will join St Barnabas following a long career within the NHS in both Lincolnshire and Derbyshire, spanning 12 years.

“I am really looking forward to starting my role as Chief Executive of St Barnabas and leading the organisation in what I believe to be an exciting time for palliative care,” says Mr Wheway.

Commenting on Mr Wheway’s appointment, the hospice’s Chairman of Trustees, Bob Neilans, said:

“On behalf of the Hospice I am pleased to welcome Chris to the organisation. He has extensive NHS experience and I am confident he will quickly embrace the St Barnabas ethos of innovation and excellence. I look forward to Chris taking the Hospice forward.”

He will take over an organisation that has driven innovation to become a centre of excellence in taking the quality of end of life care to new heights.

St Barnabas Hospice has seen a significant increase in the demand for its services, most significantly their day therapy services which over the last two years has seen a 177% increase in the number of people accessing the service, which is wholly funded by charitable donations.

In the last 12 months the charity’s community hospice at home teams have cared for more than 1,700 patients in their own homes across the county and for over 350 people at its inpatient facilities in Lincoln and Grantham.

Last year saw the launch of the UK’s first “Hospice in the Hospital” at Grantham, an innovative partnership with the acute trust and the Southwest Clinical Commissioning Group to provide a purpose designed, six-bedded community hospice unit within Grantham and District Hospital.

Mr Wheway added: “St Barnabas has an excellent reputation for delivering high-quality person-centered care and I am privileged to be part of what I believe to be a compassion-focused and innovative organisation.

“It is clear that the next five years will see wide-ranging changes in the health and social care environment. My aim is to be at the forefront of this change, listening to patients their families and carers, to ensure that we not only continue to provide high-quality services and lead the development of palliative care in Lincolnshire but that through innovation and partnerships, we support more people closer to home.”

Singing for Health helps patients with their breathing and coordination.

RECORD numbers of people with life-limiting illnesses across East Lindsey are taking advantage of a further expansion in day therapy services provided by St Barnabas Hospice.

An increase in demand has prompted the charity to increase the number of sessions it offers at Louth Hospice, ensuring the needs of those living with both cancer and non-cancer conditions are met.

St Barnabas, the principal provider of end-of-life care across the locality, now provides day therapy three days every week from its locality base at the hospice.

And it continues to take the initiative into the heart of other communities by staging sessions once a fortnight in Skegness and Mablethorpe.

Around 200 patients have already benefited from various day therapy services, which are free-of-charge and currently funded wholly through charitable donations to St Barnabas.

Among the therapeutic sessions with a difference is “Singing for Health”, a choir comprising patients who find that it helps with their breathing and coordination.

St Barnabas has also expanded its physiotherapy services based at the hospice, which now operate two days a week, in response to increasing demand to provide more palliative rehabilitation to our patients.

“As well as a caring charity, St Barnabas is also a listening one,” said St Barnabas’ Nicky Ingall, who manages Louth Hospice. “Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we have been able to respond by expanding the range of services that our clients tell us they want and will benefit from.

“Day therapy is a developing service, growing in popularity month-on-month since we opened our doors two years ago offering just one session a week. Now we run sessions three days a week and are exploring ways of increasing this further, as the community need is there.

“Many of the specialist services that hospices like St Barnabas now provide do not require a person to be an inpatient – there are so many other ways that we support people that are medically more appropriate and preferred by the patients themselves.

Day therapy can help people with a range of issues which they may be having difficulty with, such as physical, emotional, social, spiritual and psychological problems. The aim of attending the range of day therapy activities is to help people manage their symptoms, help them gain more confidence at home by assessing their personal needs, and help improve the quality of their lives.

St Barnabas also provides pre and post bereavement counselling through its Family Support Service, with a drop-in bereavement group meeting every Thursday afternoon at Louth Hospice.

Anyone aged 18 and above can refer themselves to any or all of the different services provided, without the need for a doctor’s letter. For any further information on how St Barnabas’ care services can be accessed in your area please call 01522 511566 or visit www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk

Representatives of the Louth hospice team who have helped make last year a record-breaking one in terms of patients supported.

FOR the growing community of East Lindsey, it is a case of “thanks a million” several times over as the flagship day hospice in Louth marks its second anniversary.

Run by Lincolnshire’s St Barnabas Hospice, the unit has propelled palliative care into a new era. It has brought an unprecedented amount of expertise under one roof to support thousands of people with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

Just two years on from opening its doors, St Barnabas is now celebrating the hospice’s birthday by achieving two major million-pound-plus milestones.

Not only has the St Barnabas investment topped more than £1.5m in the provision of end-of-life care support to people living across Louth, its coastal area and neighbouring communities such as Boston.

But the charity’s welfare and benefits team has also secured over £3.3m in previously unclaimed benefits for 1,900 patients and their carers. Its advisors have secured this by demystifying which allowances are potentially available, and guiding people through what can be a complex or stressful maze to make an application.

“With every month that goes by, we are getting busier and busier with increasing demand for the services we provide,” said hospice general manager Nicky Ingall.

“The past 12 months have built on our inaugural year of success for St Barnabas’ much-needed new venture here in the heart of the Louth community.

“It has also been a record-breaking one for the number of people St Barnabas has helped to live well when they are dying, as well as for the amount of investment that we have channelled locally into patient care.”

She added: “Bringing all our different services together in one building has enabled us to avoid duplication and wastage, so that every penny donated to St Barnabas goes even further.

“Since welcoming our first patients two years ago, the hospice has been a modern home not just to our existing services but to new ones as well, creating the launch pad for us to take the quality of care and support we provide to new heights.”

With an ageing and growing population, there are more and more people living in Lincolnshire with life-limiting illnesses – ranging from cancer, to lung and heart conditions, to dementia – requiring the range of personalised services that the St Barnabas team provides from its new base.

The unit is the headquarters for St Barnabas’s local Hospice at Home team, which supports people with advanced illnesses to be cared for in the familiar surroundings of their home and to die there if that is their wish. The team supported over 800 people in this way over the last two years.

Nicky added: “On behalf of everyone who has benefitted from our services, I would like to thank those who have contributed to our ongoing success – from fund-raisers in the community, to our first-class staff and volunteers.

“Their hard work has given our services an extra dimension and we are determined to build on this platform in the months and years to come, with more improvements and new initiatives to keep St Barnabas at the forefront of end-of-life across East Lindsey.”

To help the local Louth community share in the anniversary success, St Barnabas is staging two upcoming events – a Christmas Craft Fayre at the hospice on November 15, between 11am-2pm; and the popular Light up a Life service at Louth Methodist Church – 7th December 6pm.

The purpose-designed, two-story unit – leased long-term by St Barnabas from the Louth and District Hospice charity – boasts treatment rooms, quiet areas, a large lounge area and a clinical room for out-patient appointments. It also features four themed gardens with views over the open countryside.

The day hospice was built on a three-acre site donated by local farmer Frank Nicholson adjacent to Fanthorpe Farm, near the Fairfield Industrial Estate.

For any further information on how St Barnabas’ care services can be accessed in your area please call 01522 511566 or visit: www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk

The UK’s first Hospice in the Hospital at Grantham

INITIATIVES pioneered by Lincolnshire St Barnabas Hospice have helped propel the UK to the top of world rankings for end-of-life care.

In welcoming yesterday’s report as a major endorsement of the quality of services available, the charity pledged to continue its work to ensure the county stayed at the forefront of innovation.

“Thanks to the skills of our staff and the unstinting support we receive from the community, there is no shortage of ways in which St Barnabas has broken new ground in the provision of specialist services. These allow people with life-limiting illnesses to choose the death they would like,” said interim Chief Executive Karen Rossdale.

“Lincolnshire’s reputation has attracted interest from across the UK, as well as further afield, and has put St Barnabas very much on the map as a centre of excellence in taking the quality of end-of-life care to new heights.”

The latest initiative that breaks new ground focuses on the appointment – in partnership with United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust – of a palliative and end-of-life care Chaplain providing spiritual care and support to patients and their families.

The partnership is also supporting the delivery of training to staff across all wards and sites to support best practice in palliative and end-of-life care with the new appointment of a dedicated end-of-life-facilitator to ensure patients’ needs are met.

This is achieved through conversations with patients about where they want to be cared for, as well as identifying new activities within day therapy that patients and their carers would like to benefit from.

These initiatives are all part of a wider programme of improvements designed to offer a more personalised range of services, closer to the person’s home.

It builds on a raft of other developments, including last year’s launch of the UK’s first “Hospice in the Hospital” at Grantham, and the recent expansion of day therapy services that the charity provides to the East Lindsey community from its locality base at Louth and District Hospice.

Karen added: “We should all take pride in today’s findings and the innovative ways in which St Barnabas, as the principal provider of specialist end-of-life care throughout Lincolnshire, is contributing to this success.

“We have an ambitious development programme in place to build on our track record as one of the UK’s longest-established and most successful hospice charities.

“And we look forward to the people of Lincolnshire continuing to be among the first in the UK – as well as in the world- to benefit from our approach.

“We are very grateful to the community we serve for their amazing support for over 30 years and the platform this has built to enable us to extend the boundaries of quality.”

St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice backs national campaign to raise awareness of hospice services

St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice will be adding its voice to hundreds of other hospices across the UK to explore the theme of Connecting Care for Hospice Care Week 2015 (5-11 October).

Hospice Care Week is an annual event to raise awareness about the work of the Hospice sector within the UK. The campaign encourages member hospices to make a noise to raise awareness about the difference hospice care makes to the end of life.

During Hospice Care Week, hospice across the UK will be sharing the innovative and surprising ways that hospices support dying people and their families, so that they can spend their final moments in dignity and peace.

Hospice Care Week provides the perfect opportunity to do this with World Hospice and Palliative Care Day taking place on Saturday 10 October.

People who don’t know a lot about hospice care may be surprised that hospice care brings together a diverse range of professionals and volunteers to work side-by-side to support dying people and their families when they need it most.

St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice cares for more than 9,000 people a year who are living with a life-limiting illness and are supported by more than 1,000 volunteers who give up their free time to volunteer each year.

Even fewer people may know about hospice staff and volunteers going the extra mile to add life to days, the range of therapies that enrich the lives of people receiving end of life care, or the important role that hospices play in supporting and educating staff and volunteers.

The range of therapies at St Barnabas continues to evolve and most recently the charity has introduced Canine Carers. This is an initiative that sees dogs used for therapeutic purposes, they will meet and greet and offer unconditional love as a way of improving patients wellbeing.

Canine Carers is a first for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice who are rolling out the program across the county.

Between 5 and 11 October hundreds of hospices, their staff and supporters will be taking to Twitter and Facebook to spread the message about Connecting Care. To learn more about Hospice Care Week visit www.hospicecareweek.org and don’t forget to keep an eye out for #HospiceCareWeek.

Our Specialist Nurses can offer support and advice

Secondary breast cancer patients across Lincolnshire will soon have access to a support group being launched by St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice

The secondary breast cancer support group – the first group of its kind in Lincolnshire – adds an extra dimension to plans by St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice to support and innovate palliative care across Lincolnshire wherever possible.

The new group will launch on Friday 2nd October, from 12 noon – 4pm, at St Barnabas Day Therapy Centre on Hawthorn Road in Lincoln at the beginning of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Guests will be able to meet and gain support and information from health professionals including a Specialist Breast Nurse, Occupational Therapists and Complementary Therapists as well as meeting the counsellor volunteers who will help to organise the support group.

Sue Scully, Deputy Team Leader for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, said:

“The launch day is free and open to anyone who is living with the impacts of secondary breast cancer in Lincolnshire. We will then work with the guests at our launch day to determine a suitable time and day to meet on a weekly basis.

“The group will allow people in similar situations to get the support they need in a relaxed atmosphere. The group will be entirely led by its members and volunteer counsellors Sue, Ellen and Christine, the topics of conversation will be determined by them and they will be visited by various health care professionals on a rolling basis.”

Guests at the launch will also be able to seek free and confidential advice from the St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice welfare team.

Sue said: “Each year we are seeing the number of people diagnosed with secondary breast cancer increase. It is vitally important that these people are recognised and that a dedicated support service is available to assist them to live well with their secondary disease.

“This group will be able to access advice and expertise from various guest speaking health professionals whilst gaining support and friendship from each other. The group welcomes anyone with secondary breast cancer regardless of what stage of the journey they are at.”

Bob Neilans awards Jack Covill-Lowndes with The Jules King Award

Staff, volunteers and close partners enjoyed an evening of celebration at the awards ceremony at St Barnabas Day Therapy Centre in Lincoln

The outstanding achievements of staff, volunteers and close partner organisations were recognised at an awards evening held by local independent charity St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice on Tuesday 8th September.

It was hosted by the organisations Chairman of Trustees, Bob Neilans and Director of Service Innovation and Integration, Jane Bake, at the charity’s Day Therapy Centre on Hawthorn Road in Lincoln.

There were more than 65 guests in attendance, including the Board of Trustees from St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, the winners, and their guests.

The awards evening was introduced last year after the Executive Board recognised the opportunity to celebrate and reward the excellence that was being demonstrated by staff, volunteers and partner organisations within the community.

Jane Bake said: “As an organisation we pride ourselves on delivering the highest quality palliative and end of life care to people across Lincolnshire. We are only able to realise these ambitions because of the outstanding contributions made by our dedicated staff and volunteers, and those working closely with the organisation.

“The awards evening provided us with the perfect opportunity to recognise the many individuals who go the extra mile, whether it is in their volunteering role, commitment to community partnerships or pushing the boundaries to provide end of life care in hard to reach places.”

Nominations were received over the last 12 months from internal and external sources and winners were by the Executive Board.

Jane said: “With an amazing workforce consisting of over 1,300 staff and volunteers it was a difficult task to determine who the winners would be. We are lucky to have so many people who go above and beyond for the care of our patients.

“It was also important to us to acknowledge the support from the local business community and our colleagues in other care organisations who have worked alongside us to provide excellent end of life care.”

The highlight of the evening was The Jules King Award, won by twelve-year-old Jack Covill-Lowndes, who has raised in excess of £4,500 in memory of his mum. Jack’s own personal loss inspired him to fundraise for the hospice after his mother died of cancer when he was just three years old and the hospice cared for her in her final days.

The night ended with The Raising Awareness Award which was won by Alistair Berry, Rebecca Gleave and Laura Williams from the University of Lincoln. These students had donated their time and skills to produce short films for the hospice, including an insight into volunteering and the hospice Day Therapy services.

Award winners:

• The Innovation Award – Grantham Clinical Action Team

• The Outstanding Contribution Award – Pam Francis and Hefina Holden

• The Recognition Award – Chris Candlin and Peter Kembery

• The Team Award – Boston Hospice at Home team

• The Palliative Care Hero Award – Dr Glencross and team from South West Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group and Kevin Turner and team from United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust

• The Jules King Award – Jack Covill-Lowndes

• The Long Service Volunteer Awards – Shirley Finch (20 years), Rob Glover (20 years), Kay Dulcie (30 years), Winifred Lawson (20 years), Pauline Townend (30 years), Valerie Butler (30 years)

• The 30 Years Long Service award – Mandy Fryer and Shirley Vickers

• The Corporate Award – M & S Lincoln, Branston Ltd, Chestnut Homes, Ruddocks, MAD for St Giles

• The Raising Awareness Award – Alistair Berry, Rebecca Gleave and Laura Williams

Local independent charity, St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, is encouraging those who are experiencing grief, bereavement and loss in South Lincolnshire to join their fortnightly meetings.

The group is led by specially trained St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice volunteers and enables people in the local community to attend support groups and receive one to one confidential counselling at no cost.

The meetings will be held every Thursday starting from 3rd September from 10am – 12 noon at Cedars Nursing Home on Church Walk, with new members asked to come at 9.30am.

Mandy Irons, Psychological Support and Counselling Manager for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, said:

“Support for bereaved members of the community is much needed across Bourne and Stamford. Our group is open to anyone who has experienced bereavement due to illness, regardless of whether they have received care from the hospice

“The bereavement does not have to be recent, and quite often we find that people attend our groups many months and even years after a bereavement which they are struggling to come to terms with.”

People interested in attending the bereavement group, and professionals who may wish to refer into the service are encouraged to contact Family Support Services on 01522 518 225.

Mandy said:

“We understand that people may feel daunted about attending the group for the first time and we would like to reassure them that there are no expectations. The group will be relaxed and friendly and nobody is expected to speak-out until they feel ready to do so.

“The group will provide people with the opportunity to meet other bereaved people for mutual support and comfort.”

Leading law firm Bridge McFarland is helping local hospices this summer by donating £20 for every Will signed during August

People who choose to use the firm to draw up their Will pay the normal price but Bridge McFarland will pass on £20 of the fee and divide it between four charities.

So the more people who opt for a Will the more the charities will get.

The charities to benefit will be St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, When You Wish Upon a Star and St Andrews Hospice in Grimsby and Louth & District Hospice.

According to research carried out by a financial advice website more than 30 million adults in the UK do not have a will.

The survey revealed that two-thirds of those aged between 35 and 54 are living without a will, despite 92% of people having a firm idea of who they would like to see their money go to when they die.

The financial advice website also revealed that more than a third (36%) of those aged over 55 have yet to make a will.

Dying without a Will means the Government will decide the order of who gets what from your estate – and if no one comes forward then the Government will take the lot.

“It’s really important for people to think seriously about making a will to ensure their wishes are followed and their families are left secure,” said Patrick Purves, Head of the Private Client Department at Bridge McFarland.

“It’s also a time when many people think about leaving a legacy for charities and we wanted to do something that encouraged people to make a Will and helped local organisations too.

“The four charities we have chosen all do fantastic work for the community and we are delighted to be able to support them.”