Thanks to a generous donation from our corporate partner Westerleigh Group, the role of palliative care support worker has been piloted for the last 12 months at North Bristol NHS Trust.
For patients with cancer, palliative support care is well-established and funded. However, people with other life-limiting diseases make up more than 60% of the patients cared for by the palliative care team at North Bristol NHS Trust.
Due to the variety of conditions this involves, giving each person the support they need can be incredibly challenging.
With Hannah in the dedicated role of palliative care support worker, the team has been better able to help more patients with their practical and emotional needs as they enter the last months of their lives.
“Sometimes patients will ask me directly if I can assist with something specific. Tasks like helping them contact the council about their housing situation or signposting them to financial benefits.
“Other times, it can take a few visits to a patient to build a relationship. I aim to find out what is important to them and what will make a real difference to their lives.
“I’m then able to introduce them to some of the great services we have at Southmead Hospital. For example, our music therapy or creative workshops can be very beneficial to the patients I care for.
“I’ve found getting to know patients, and being invited in by their families as they share memories, to be so rewarding.
“If I can take some of their worry away, no matter how small, I know I’m making a difference to people’s lives.”
It’s thanks to continued donations from individual donors and corporate partners, such as Westerleigh Group, that North Bristol NHS Trust can trial new roles and approaches to enhance patient care over and above what the NHS can fund.
To find out about more projects, roles, research and equipment made possible by your donations in the last 12 months, please take a look at the latest issue of our supporter magazine, Southmead Stories.
You can support patients every step of the way at North Bristol NHS Trust by donating today. Thank you.
