A hospice apprentice is celebrating after winning a prestigious county-wide award for her hard work and dedication.

Poppie Staden, digital marketing apprentice at Blythe House Hospicecare and Helen’s Trust, secured the Health and Public Service Apprentice of the Year accolade at the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Apprenticeship Awards 2023.

Poppie attended a special ceremony on Thursday 5th October at the Village Hotel in Nottingham where she was announced as the winner. She explained: ‘I am overwhelmed with joy at receiving this award; it would not have been possible without the unwavering support, love, and guidance I’ve received from the exceptional team here at Blythe House Hospicecare and Helen’s Trust over the past 12 months.

‘Working for the hospice has provided me with invaluable opportunities to develop my skills and knowledge in marketing and communications. It has also allowed me to push my limits through various campaigns aimed at raising awareness for the hospice. Collaborating closely with my colleagues, we have strengthened our digital presence to shed light on the care and services offered at the hospice.’

The 21-year old from Buxton started her role at the hospice in August 2022; undertaking a 15-month level 3 digital marketer apprenticeship with QA. Poppie’s apprenticeship training was fully funded by the government, with the remainder paid by Asda as part of their obligation under the national apprenticeship levy.

Following the completion of her studies, where she gained a distinction for completing significantly above the expected level of work quality, Poppie has accepted a full-time position at the hospice as marketing and communications officer.

Shane O’Reilly, hospice CEO, said: ‘Everyone at the hospice is delighted that Poppie has been recognised with this award win for her incredible hard work and dedication to her role. As a hospice we have not previously offered apprenticeships. We could see the real potential in having someone work and train at the same time. As with anything new we were a bit nervous about who would apply and if it would work out. We shouldn’t have worried. Poppie from the start has had a great attitude. Hard working; willing to learn but also wanting to share her perspective and implement what she has learnt.

‘The outcomes are clear to see. We have grown supporters across our digital media and we have seen an increase in interaction with our posts and content. Poppie has helped to develop a broader range of content from across the hospice departments, supporting them to express the messages they want to get out. The feedback has been very positive which is demonstrated by their engagement in the various marketing activities, but also bringing their own ideas to promote the work that they do.’

More information on the 2023 Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Apprenticeship Awards.

We’re currently recruiting for an events and fundraising apprentice to join the friendly and enthusiastic team, to gain valuable on-the-job experience whilst studying towards a Level 3 fundraising apprenticeship qualification. More information and apply online.

 

A brand-new hospice service in North Derbyshire is supporting local patients to stay in the comfort of their own home as they near the end of their life.

Our Roaming Car service – launched in June 2023– provides urgent care for patients over the age of 18 who have a life-limiting illness such as, but not limited to, cancer, heart disease or lung disease.

The service runs from 10pm until 7am, seven days a week, 365 days a year, enabling a nurse and a healthcare assistant to provide nursing care; symptom management; psychological and emotional support; personal and catheter care; and verification of an expected death.

Since the service started on 20th June 2023, the team has supported 89 patients by providing 204 episodes of care. Many of these interventions will have avoided the need for ambulance transfers, A&E department input, or hospital admission; keeping patients where they wish to be: in the comfort of their own home with their loved ones beside them.

A special event took place at Matlock Town Football Club on Thursday 28th September, with dedicated hospice supporters including local residents and businesses invited to celebrate the launch of the vital new local service.

Shane O’Reilly, hospice CEO, explains: ‘We have run a successful Hospice at Home service for eight years, providing planned care, day and night, for people in their own home. We have seen the demand for this service grow but we have also seen first-hand the need for an urgent response service, to help keep people at home.

‘We know that, when given a choice, many local people would prefer to be cared for in their own home. The challenge is that, for people with life-limiting illnesses, as their condition deteriorates, so can their symptoms, and many people end up going to hospital when there was potential to be treated at home.

‘Often, patients may experience painful or distressing symptoms in the middle of the night, causing huge concern for worried loved ones, and it may take several hours to get medical support. The Better End of Life report published in 2022 demonstrated the increased rate of out-of-hours A&E visits as people near the end of life. Many of these attendances were felt to be avoidable with access to the right care. With help from our community to raise vital funds, we were able to launch the new Roaming Car service in June 2023.

‘We’d like to say a genuine and sincere thank you to our corporate supporters – Proctor Cars, NFU Mutual and Breedon Group plc – whose incredible support means that our Roaming Car is completely free of charge for the hospice to run. The Hyundai hybrid electric vehicle has been fully sponsored by the three local businesses, including all the servicing, MOT and ongoing fuel costs.’

Robert was cared in the comfort of his Chapel-en-le-Frith home for two nights in August 2023 by Roaming Car nurses who visited twice each night to administer medication into Robert’s syringe driver to help with his discomfort.

Sheila, Robert’s wife, explained: ‘The Roaming Car service nurses were a God send; they were amazing. The team arrived within a matter of minutes of our call. We couldn’t have done it without them. They administered medication when Robert was anxious and in pain; feeling so agitated and struggling to breathe. We couldn’t ever have accessed those meds through the night. The team was so caring with him; they treated him like a person even though he wasn’t really speaking at this point.

‘The service is a wonderful thing. It was so reassuring and gave us peace of mind to know that the team was there through the night and that they could help you. If that ever stopped, I don’t know how people would cope. If I’d have been on my own I’d never have coped and Robert would have been in agony and ended up having to go into hospital, something he really didn’t want.’

Robert died peacefully in the comfort of his own home on 2nd August 2023.

The Roaming Car team works collaboratively with health and social care providers including GPs, nursing and community services, as well as night-time service providers such as NHS 111, ensuring that patients get seen by the team best placed to help them, as quickly as possible.

It now costs £2million every year to keep the hospice’s services running; that’s just over £5,479 per day. The hospice receives less than 50% of its income for the Roaming Car service from the Government, and must raise over 50% through fundraising and donations. Thanks to the remarkable generosity of the local community, the care and support Blythe House and Helen’s Trust provides remains completely free of charge to local people.

Tim Mourne, chairman of the board of trustees at Blythe House and Helen’s Trust, spoke at the launch event on Thursday 28th September. He said: ‘We are committed to ensuring patients across North Derbyshire receive equity of high-quality, palliative and end of life care. For many families, night time can be a lonely and scary place; and this is where the idea for the Roaming Car service came from. Our winter appeal in 2022 was dedicated to raising funds for the service. At that time, I don’t think anyone realised that six months later we’d have the car and be running operationally. It’s all thanks to the appeal and the generosity of our local community.’

Find out more.

 

A festive 5k run raising vital funds for local hospice patients is set to return to Buxton this December.

The Jingle Bell Jog is set to take place at the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton on Sunday 3rd December 2023.

Since it launched in 2018, the annual Jingle Bell Jog has raised over £100,000 to fund free of charge hospice services for patients and their families, as close to, or in, the comfort of their own home across the High Peak and wider North Derbyshire.

Early bird entry is now open until 31st October and participants can sign up to take part for just £10 per person.

Rachael Gee, fundraising and events coordinator at the hospice, organises the popular event. She explained: ‘The Jingle Bell Jog really resonates with me as the official start of the countdown to Christmas. Every year we look forward to welcoming hundreds of people dressed in their Santa finery to have a fantastic, festive time, but most importantly to raise much-needed funds for a charity that means so much to so many.

‘For just £10 per person until the end of October, everyone who registers will receive their very own Santa suit, beard and belt; many people choose to customise these to really make the most of the celebrations and add to their memories. We also have a 700m fun run race for children and younger people to get involved in.

‘Our sincere thanks go to iBottles of Chinley for sponsoring the event for another year, meaning that as much money as possible can be spent directly on patient care. We are so grateful for the support of local companies and organisations. If you can help in any way, either with a monetary gift, a gift in kind or by volunteering at the event, I’d be delighted to hear from you.’

Early bird entry is open now until Monday 31st October. Sign up now!

To find out more about corporate support or volunteering opportunities for the Jingle Bell Jog, email Rachael on: events@blythehouse.co.uk.

We are seeking your help!

We know that access to hospice and other forms of expert palliative and end of life care is currently inequitable for people from LGBT+ communities. We are working hard to tackle this inequality, by partnering with Derbyshire LGBT+ towards Rainbow Accreditation.

As part of this ongoing project, we would like to hear voices from members of LGBT+ communities, who’d be happy to volunteer their time to share their valuable guidance, advice and information.

To provide everyone who needs it with the highest levels of care, and to ensure the hospice is a truly inclusive place to be, we know that we have to offer support that considers personal choice, and meet every individual’s needs.

We recognise that historically, people from LGBT+ communities have experienced discrimination and inequality within healthcare and at their places of work. We know that to really understand and overcome these barriers, we need to establish trust within LGBT+ communities.

Derbyshire LGBT+ is providing valuable training for staff members across the hospice to give them a better understanding of LGBT+ communities and the additional concerns and needs that LGBT+ people may have when they, or a loved one, is diagnosed with a life-limiting illness.

To support and guide us on our Rainbow Accreditation journey, we are seeking local people from LGBT+ communities who would be happy to be involved in a focus group to share their experiences, ideas and knowledge.

We’d like to hear your thoughts and feedback on what we’re doing now; what works, what doesn’t; what we could do differently or better; that would enable you to feel confident in accessing care and support here at the hospice should you or someone you love be diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, or be suffering from a bereavement. This may include:

• The general look and feel of the hospice reception area and building
• If you were diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, understanding what barriers you might face, and what kind of support you might seek
• Engaging with staff including our nurses to share personal information and details
• Our website and marketing materials including leaflets and brochures
• Attending local LGBT+ events and awareness days
• Drafting an action strategy to push this project forward
• Implementing policies and procedures

If you could spare just a few hours of your time to offer your input into this project, we’d be so pleased to hear from you. We aim to host small focus groups on Tuesday 17th October, timings TBC. To find out more or to register your interest, please contact Laura Savile before Friday 22nd September: 01298 816998, or email: laura.savile@blythehouse.co.uk

Read more about the hospice’s Derbyshire LGBT+ Rainbow Accreditation journey.