Blythe House Hospicecare launches new rapid response service

Blythe House Hospicecare will be launching a new Hospice at Home rapid response service.

The initial funding to launch the service, and the amount needed to cover its first-year costs, has been raised with amazing support from local residents and businesses.

The new service will complement our hugely successful Hospice at Home team in enabling more local people to die in the comfort of their home, and alleviate pressures on the NHS.

Shane O’Reilly, hospice CEO, said: “We are absolutely staggered by the amazing community support for our appeal which was launched at the end of last year to help raise the vital funds needed to launch this brand-new service. The total amount raised not only shows the need for such a service, but also the affection and amazing gratitude which local people hold for the hospice.

“GP surgeries and hospitals are busier than ever and so many more people need us now in the safe, relaxed and restful surroundings of their own home.

"With the money raised, we will recruit compassionate and skilled nurses and healthcare assistants, and fund a specialist vehicle to enable us to rapidly support patients across North Derbyshire communities to administer medication, manage symptoms and provide nursing care; keeping patients at home, and out of hospital.

“The Hospice at Home service, in partnership with Helen’s Trust, provides palliative and end of life care in the comfort of patients’ homes.

Throughout 2022, the Hospice at Home team cared for 347 patients in more than 320 post code areas across the huge, rural expanse of North Derbyshire.

It costs just over £5,479 per day to run the services. The hospice receives less than 20 per cent of its income from the NHS and must raise over 80 per cent through fundraising and retail activities.

The charity is now recruiting expert staff to visit patients who are in need during the night. This means that if a local patient experiences a decline in their circumstances and needs nursing support anytime between 9.30pm and 7.30am, they will have access to the Hospice at Home team, even when they don’t have an overnight hospice care package planned.