Mobile Hospice launches thanks to Westfield Health Donation
Ashgate Hospicecare is proud to announce that they have officially launched a Specialist Palliative Care Mobile Clinic and Information Service for the High Peak and Derbyshire Dale area thanks to a generous donation from Westfield Health.
The mobile hospice aims to provide hospice care, information and assessment to patients and carers in rural areas furthest from Ashgate Hospicecare, as well as being a greater physical presence where people are less aware of the services they can access.
Claire Blakey, Head of Community Services, said:-
“I think we need to be more creative and more effective in the delivery of services as more people need hospice care and the need for community focused health care rises. We need to show a presence across our whole catchment area, from Buxton to Whitwell, Matlock to Dronfield. At the same time we need to increase our visibility and accessibility to advice, support and services.”
“The donation from Westfield Health is hugely important in helping us to achieve more face to face contact between our nurses and less mobile patients by providing local nurse led clinics. It gives us the opportunity to educate and empower patients and carers who need specialist palliative care to be as informed as possible.”
By introducing a new mobile service, Ashgate Hospicecare will be able to provide a quicker response to referrals from GPs and district nurses as well as reduce travel time for vulnerable patients and carers who need to access hospice advice and information.
Graham Moore, Chairman of Sheffield-based health and wellbeing provider Westfield Health said:-
“We are delighted to be supporting Ashgate Hospicecare. The mobile hospice is a fantastic project and one which I am sure will make a real difference to people in the High Peak and Derbyshire Dale areas. We wish Ashgate Hospicecare all the very best in the delivery of the service and hope it is a great success.”
Wendy Staton, Clinical Nurse Specialist at Ashgate Hospicecare, said:-
“While the clinic has been parked in various places we have had a lot of interest from many people who just happen to be passing. We have had a very positive response from local people and many asking what our service is about, some offering to volunteer, offering donations and those with experience of our service.”
“It has been really interesting meeting the people who have approached the clinic and we are networking with other local agencies as a result. This is all because Ashgate Hospicecare is now visible and accessible for patients and carers with palliative care needs.”
“We would like to thank local High Peak people for their positive support so far. We are a community service and feel welcomed by everyone we have met.”
