Category: Hospice News

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.”

The NHS in Lincolnshire is inviting anyone who has a story to tell about health or care services to come along and share their experience on Tuesday 14 July 2015 9:30am -12:30pm, Patio Room, Springfields Events & Conference Centre, Camelgate, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE12 6ET.

The event will be attended by representatives from across the health and care community who will be on hand to listen to the experiences of patients, carers and their families.

The morning will include a welcome and opening presentation from a senior nurse and a listening section where the public will be joined by health and care representatives to share their experiences. A coffee break will follow and the event will finish with an informal session where attendees will have the opportunity to find out what each organisation does within the health and care community.

Lynne Moody, Director of Quality & Executive Nurse for South Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group said:

“By working closely with patients, family members and carers, our shared goal is to help shape the future of health and social care services in Lincolnshire.

We are encouraging the public to come along and share their personal experiences of the healthcare services they have received, these experiences will allow us to make sure that the services we provide across the county are safe and high quality for everyone”

Organisations attending the event include; representatives from the four Lincolnshire CCGs*, United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust and Lincolnshire County Council, Chaplaincy and PALS.

Anyone who is interested to attend the event on 14 July in Spalding, is asked to register by emailing public.engagement@gemcsu.nhs.uk or calling 01522 515364.

*South Lincolnshire CCG, South West Lincolnshire CCG, Lincolnshire West CCG and Lincolnshire East CCG.

“Peace Be Upon You”

Good Fortune! Share the news!

Members of the University of Lincoln Students’ Union Islamic Society and their friends invite you to Discover Islam Week 2015!

It’s all free! Everybody’s welcome!

The week, consisting of a series of 5 Guest Speaker Lectures, is dedicated to helping raise awareness about Islam, dispel misconceptions and widen the Islamic knowledge of Muslims and Non-Muslims alike.

Together with our friends we have also planned a week of activities to raise funds for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, a charity committed to providing the highest quality palliative and end of life care and support for patients and their families battling a life limiting illness in Lincolnshire.

So feel free to make a donation! Here’s a Just Giving page which allows you to donate online. Click below for more details and how to donate.

Donate Now

For further information about the events and activities planned visit the University of Lincoln Students’ Union events calendar.

See You There!

For further information about the University of Lincoln Students’ Union Islamic Society visit our Facebook Group

If you have any further questions or would like to volunteer do not hesitate to get in touch.

Kind regards,

Jammil Ahmed

University of Lincoln Students’ Union Islamic Society President

University of Lincoln Brayford Pool, Lincoln, LN6 7TS

e:islamic@lincolnsu.com

A recruitment drive has been launched ahead of the opening of Lincolnshire’s pioneering “hospice in the hospital” at Grantham.

St Barnabas Hospice, who is working in a unique partnership with the local NHS to open the new inpatient unit this summer, is looking to tap into the county’s pool of nursing expertise to fill six full-time posts.

The charity has already recruited a manager for the purpose-designed, six-bed unit at Grantham and District Hospital – but is now aiming to draw upon “home grown” talent to add to the clinical team.

“This is very much a nurse-led unit and its creation opens up career opportunities to be at the forefront of a new and integrated approach to palliative and end-of-life care,” said Director of Patient Care at St Barnabas, Jane Bake.

“We are recruiting individuals who have relevant experience as a Band 5 or equivalent in an appropriate area, for example in the acute setting, adult medicine, or community.”

She added: “This is an exciting venture that cements Lincolnshire’s reputation for innovation in caring for people with life-limiting illnesses, offering nurses the chance to be at the heart of its development from the outset.”

The new £1.2m unit will care for more than 160 people from across South West Lincolnshire each year – saving them and their friends and family a 30-mile journey to currently the county’s only inpatient unit at Nettleham Road, Lincoln.

Post -registration experience, and or a qualification in palliative care is desirable. The postholder will be responsible for assessing care needs, and the planning, delivery and evaluation of nursing care within a palliative care environment.

The recruitment of the nursing team signals another milestone in the creation of the new unit. In addition to the unit manager, the charity recently appointed to the 1.5 healthcare support worker roles within the team – after receiving no fewer than 35 applications.

• For further details about these nursing vacancies please contact Kate Cole, Sister Day Surgery, Grantham at kate.cole@ulh.nhs.uk; or Michelle Webb, General Manager (South) St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice michelle.webb@stbarnabashospice.co.uk

“Our 1st ever Take Me Out event took place at the Lpac on Friday night. The event was full of love and laughter. Take Me Out was a roaring success raising over £3,000 for our hospice which will buy a hospital bed frame for our patients. The event was thoroughly enjoyed by all the contestants and the 300 plus lively crowd. 7 single men took part with 4 of them securing a date. Will cupid’s arrow strike over peri peri sauce? …Watch this space to find out if love blossomed. A big thank you to all involved including Nando’s Lincoln, Zanzas Style Lounge and Dj Flipstones. Look out for Take Me out 2014”

Becky Otter – Events Fundraiser (Lincoln)