Evolving through COVID

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    Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, Peace Hospice Care has gone through a series of changes to ensure the safety and needs of all our patients, families, carers, visitors and shop customers not forgetting our staff and volunteers.

    Our Inpatient Unit (IPU) and Community Palliative Response teams and CNS Nurse led clinics continue to operate normal service delivery with increased contact and support with our local care homes. Our Outpatients services have been redeployed to the IPU and are supporting the community with virtual consultations, ensuring Advance Care Planning conversations are documented. Our Bereavement and Counselling and Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) referrals have increased, with our counsellors providing virtual consultations and phone support.

    We conduct outreach education in care homes, collaborate with other hospices in the South West Hertfordshire area, run virtual physiotherapy, meditation and mindfulness sessions, and hosting virtual clinics for our patients making it safer for them and our staff. We also offer remote meditation, physiotherapy and counselling sessions, which opened up our services to more people who had previously been unable to attend. Our resilient staff and retail team have been extremely flexible and are working across different teams and departments.

    Our Rapid Personalised Care Service (RPCS) provides personal care for up to 12 weeks to patients at home receiving end of life care and was available throughout COVID-19. The demand for this service continues to grow and the feedback we have received from the families and carers has been extremely positive. Packages of care are provided within 48 hours of a referral and start on the same day as the referral is received.

    The Palliative Response Team (PRT) support service started in the midst of the pandemic and has developed into a fundamental service for patients requesting immediate care, supported by the Medical Team.

    Our aim is to now continue our new ways of working, as we are able to reach new patients and support more people than ever but also continue face to face treatment.

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