Hospice Plans New Services to Meet Need

CHANGING needs and growing demand are redefining the services provided by St Michael’s Hospice in Harrogate, according to its latest five-year plan .

Chief executive Tony Collins, said people using their services had a wider variety of illnesses, many which had increasingly complex needs.

“Hospices have long been associated with helping people living with cancer and these individuals are still a very important patient group,” he said.

“However, we are now seeing increasing numbers of people living with illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, end- stage heart and lung disease, motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis.

“This is why their views and needs were so important during the creation of our new five-year strategy.”

The resulting plan foresees continuing improvements in end-of- life care for people in the Harrogate district as St Michael’s becomes more specialist, more accessible, more flexible, more collaborative and more pioneering, he said.

This strategy includes introducing planned respite care and community bereavement support.

These will be complemented by more places for the much in- demand day therapy and lymphoedema services.

St Michael’s is also set to strengthen its medical team and modernise facilities.

Mr Collins said: “We want everyone to know that this new strategy is not a paper exercise. These developments will allow us to be able to double the number of people we are able to help at our hospice in Hornbeam Park.

“We will also be working in greater collaboration with our NHS colleagues to bring more specialist palliative care services into people’s homes.”

The hospice receives a Pounds 300,000 grant from the NHS towards the Pounds 2m its needs to maintain current services. Most costs are paid for by community fundraising.

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