Innovative and more flexible services providing an extra 1,560 hours of care a year for patients with life-limiting illnesses at Ottery Hospital have launched.
Hospiscare celebrated the start of its new nurse-led clinics this week following a generous £50,000 donation from the town’s League of Friends group.
Patients and their families will have easier access to support from a series of new and enhanced services based at the Thorne Farm Way building.
Adrian Rutter, chairman of the Otter St Mary & District League of Friends, said the group were working to tackle three areas of need in the town including young people’s mental health, dementia and end of life care.
Mr Rutter said: “We are absolutely delighted, we chose to work with Hospiscare because they are so good at what they do and there is such a need for what they do.”
On Tuesday, the charity launched its first nurse led clinic by advanced nurse practitioner Rachel Willmott to provide an extra 30 hours of support a week.
She said the money was ‘invaluable’ to fund time to build relationships with the patients and health care professionals like Coleridge Medical Centre to provide the best care.
The nurse added: “We are trying to provide a more flexible service and we are aware that people do not always want to be seen in their home and we are offering a choice.”
The charity has also been able to set up a group for health care assistants to come together to learn and develop their knowledge about end of life care.
Its third aim is to also work with the hospital’s Rowan ward to support palliative and end of life care for those living with dementia.
Ann Rhys, assistant director of care, said: “We have noticed a huge change over the last few years in patients we are being referred.
“We sadly see patients who are towards the end of the life but more recently we are starting to see a lot of patients earlier in their illness. In all of that we are having to think as nurses and a service how we should support our patients and families and to provide the best care for them.
“We should be aiming to make whatever time a person has straightforward and supportive as possible. It’s never easy but we can make it but we can make it a little bit more better and if it means accessing services a bit closer to home.”
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