Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
Concern for future of end-of-life care
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF HOSPICE WANTS ‘CONCRETE’ PROPOSALS FROM THE NHS
THE chief executive of the Michael Sobell Hospice has called on the NHS to pledge to put “concrete proposals” for end-of-life care on the table.
In a letter to registered supporters, Judi Byrne asked for support from East and North Herts NHS Trust and Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust to work together on a replacement for the inpatient facilities at the hospice which had to be closed down in June after the building became “unsafe and no longer fit for purpose”.
The deficiencies in the building were revealed at a Care Quality Comission (CQC) inspection of the end-of-life care at Mount Vernon Hospital in Northwood .
The Michael Sobell Hospice Charity, which has run palliative care services at the world-renowned cancer centre since 1977 was rated as requiring improvement, despite scoring good ratings for to the overall service being caring and effective but raised specific.
The report, published in July following an inspection in April, highlighted significant concerns about the quality of the facilities, owned by Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust, which denied that its building was not fit-for-purpose.
The inpatient unit at the hospice, which had 10 beds, was shut in June and moved to Mount Vernon Hospital temporarily.
Judi Byrne, chief executive of the hospice, wrote in her letter: “Patients in our community must see progress and agreement on the way forward over the autumn.
“It inappropriate and unsustainable to put palliative and end-of-life care on an acute cancer ward.
“All the main NHS organisations are reviewing existing and future palliative and end-of-life care in Hillingdon. And it means Michael Sobell Hospice Charity’s work has never been as important as today.”
The Day Hospice continues to operate from the hospice’s building, however Michael Sobell is pushing for a “rebuilt, renovated or relocated Michael Sobell Hospice in the north of Hillingdon.”
“It was a tough but understandable decision by East & North Herts. NHS Trust to relocate the hospice inpatient unit temporarily from Michael Sobell Hospice to the main hospital block from June 2018, while a permanent solution is agreed,” wrote Judi.
“We were informed on the intended relocation and raised serious concerns about relocating the in-patient unit with no alternative hospice setting ready to move to.
“But ultimately, we had to respect the final decision taken by the NHS Trust in charge of patient clinical care.
“We are pleased the main local NHS organisations have written jointly to the Save the Michael Sobell Hospice petition organisers.
“It is right that they acknowledged that patients and loved ones have been upset by the changes; apologise for any uncertainty caused; and commit to minimizing the impact on patients.
The letter concluded by asking supporters to continue their generosity, which they have shown over that last 41 years, and promised that the hospice is working on a solution that would bring hospice care back under one roof.