A health trust and hospice’s joint work helping end of life care patients in Teesside has hit a key milestone – just a year after a new unit was opened.
Butterwick Hospice’s new adult in-patient unit – opened last summer thanks to its partnership with North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust – has now helped 100 patients.
The unit, which opened last August, meant the hospice was able to open beds to provide end of life care to patients.
These have been staffed by a team of health professionals and volunteers, including from the trust.
Zoe Booth, palliative and end of life care lead at the trust, said: “We are absolutely delighted with how things have progressed since the unit opened.
“Feedback from patients and their relatives has been extremely positive and it is clear to us all how successful this has been so far.
“Since it opened, we are offering more beds to our patients and we continue to makes plans to progress the service in the future.”
Improved care for patients
Mel Cambage, the trust’s deputy chief nurse, added: “Thanks to this fantastic partnership we have with Butterwick Hospice, we have been able to offer patients an improved standard of care.
“Patients who are already known to us and have been under our care have been able to have that care in this new in-patient unit, while our staff have been able to share their knowledge and expertise about these patients.
“We are excited to continue working with Butterwick, developing the service further and helping our patients continue get the best possible experience under our care.”
Looking to the future
Edward Gorringe, chief executive of Butterwick Hospice Care, said: “We are delighted to have marked the 100th adult patient admission to Butterwick Hospice since the reopening of our Adult Inpatient Unit.
“This has come about due to the hard work of our staff, the support of our partners in North Tees and Hartlepool Foundation Trust, and the trust placed in us by our community.
“I personally have been humbled by the feedback we have received from patients and their families, a powerful reminder of why we do what we do.
“Building on this foundation, and with the ongoing commitment of our many community and corporate supporters, we look forward with optimism to the years ahead.
“The unit’s nurse-led team is supported by a wide range of specialist staff including nurses, doctors, health support workers, physiotherapists, family support workers, and catering and housekeeping staff. The inpatient team will work closely with a wide range of staff in the trust to ensure clinical knowledge and expertise involving individual patients is shared”.
“It has been a pleasure engaging with the Trust and I look forward to our continued co-operation and collaboration in bringing the best possible care to our community.”
Photo caption: Left to right: Stacey Hadlet (registered nurse), Lucy Henderson (clinical manager, adult inpatient unit) Donna Stephenson (registered nurse) and Lisa Finnie (healthcare assistant)
Compliments
“To all of the palliative nurses who truly looked after my husband, you all made us smile. I would like to say a great big thank you…we are truly going to miss you all so much.”
“To the ‘angels’ who have taken such amazing care of ‘Mum’. The treatment Mum and we received was exemplary! Top notch! The kindness from all of you was felt and greatly appreciated, especially during these difficult days. Thank you.”
“We have seen first hand the absolute dedication of every single one of you. You all welcomed us and made us feel so relaxed in a very sad time for us. It has not been an easy time but you made certain that our wonderful Dad had a dignified and peaceful passing.”
“Your love and compassion was second to none and you will stay in our hearts forever. We are forever grateful. Lots of love.”