St John's Hospice and health staff work together

St John's Hospice invited members of the local healthcare community to come and discuss the upcoming challenges of providing palliative care for an ageing population and to hear about exciting new projects at the hospice.
St John's Hospice launch event. Hospice at Home Sister Charlotte Baxendale with Sandra Benson, Hospice at Home Assistant Practitioner.St John's Hospice launch event. Hospice at Home Sister Charlotte Baxendale with Sandra Benson, Hospice at Home Assistant Practitioner.
St John's Hospice launch event. Hospice at Home Sister Charlotte Baxendale with Sandra Benson, Hospice at Home Assistant Practitioner.

The CNS Team, led by Josie Candlin, have been based at the hospice for several years, but employed by a different trust.

Since April the team has been directly employed by the hospice. The CNS team, previously sometimes known as MacMillan nurses, provide invaluable care planning and advice for patients in the last 12 months of life.

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They help bring together all aspects of a patient’s care, not just medical needs, but financial, social, psychological and emotional needs.

They also support the families too. Becoming part of the hospice family has been great according to Josie: “We have always worked closely with the hospice teams but since becoming part of the same team in April, it is inevitable that those links immediately become better and stronger. Ultimately, this means that the patient journey from when we first meet them, to accessing other hospice services as they need them, is totally seamless. This helps put patients and their loved ones at ease.”

The event, held at the hospice’s Courtyard Café was attended by over 50 professionals from all parts of community and hospital settings, such as GPs, district nurses, residential care homes and the CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group).

John Bosson, a commissioner at the Morecambe Bay CCG said: “St John’s Hospice is valued so highly in the community as it helps so many people.”