New model of palliative care approved

Following a Review of Palliative Care Services across Lanarkshire in the first half of 2017, the South and North Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) for Lanarkshire’s Health and Social Care Partnerships met on the 5th and 12th December respectively and agreed a Hospice Care model that consolidates St Andrew’s Hospice as the main provider of in-patient specialist palliative care in Lanarkshire. This new model, which will be implemented from 1 April 2018, includes provision for St Andrew’s Hospice to continue with 30 beds, Kilbryde Hospice to open 12 beds and Strathcarron Hospice to continue to provide a range of community palliative care services for the people of Cumbernauld and Kilsyth.

Hearing the news of the IJBs’ decision, CEO of St Andrew’s Hospice Bruce High commented: “I am delighted with the decision made by the IJBs of North and South Lanarkshire. In taking the decision that they did, they have recognised the service that St Andrew’s Hospice has faithfully provided for the people of Lanarkshire over the past 30 years.

“We can now look forward to the opening of our newly refurbished, state-of-the–art hospice in March 2018 in the knowledge that we can continue to deliver the compassionate care that the people of Lanarkshire have come to expect of us. I would like to thank the members of both IJBs for their support in reaching this decision.”

Bruce also paid tribute to the people of Lanarkshire who have supported St Andrew’s Hospice over the last 30 years to raise the £88,000 per week needed to run the facility on top of the funding provided by NHS Lanarkshire.

Whilst the exact detail of the in-patient care models has yet to be agreed, it is expected that St. Andrew’s Hospice will continue to work collaboratively with Strathcarron and Kilbryde Hospices to enhance patient access to specialist palliative care services across the whole of Lanarkshire. Due to its relative size, it is expected that St Andrew’s Hospice will continue to provide in-patient care for a large proportion of patients from South Lanarkshire as well as North Lanarkshire.

St Andrew’s Hospice fulfils a vital role for in-patient specialist palliative care services within Lanarkshire and its Board of Trustees is delighted that this has been recognised by the decision of the IJBs.