New 24-hour End of Life Support Service Launches

Birmingham Hospice has announced the launch of a new service to help people across Birmingham and Solihull to access specialist end of life and palliative care in their own homes, helping them to stay in familiar surroundings near their loved ones.

The SPUR (Specialist Palliative Urgent Response) service, which begins operation on Monday 12 January, will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It will take calls from patients and their families, as well as healthcare professionals, and either offer advice, signpost to relevant services, or arrange a home visit within two hours, bringing the hospice’s expert skills directly into people’s homes in times of crisis.

The initiative responds to longstanding gaps in out-of-hours palliative care provision, particularly overnight, where fragmented services have often led to undue stress for families and increased pressure on local emergency departments.

It will complement the hospice’s current Specialist Community Palliative Care service, which provides support from 8am – 8pm. The intention is that, by providing a single point of contact, patients and their families will be able to receive the support they need more quickly.

A total of 28 new jobs have been created to operate the new service in clinical and administrative positions. The service will be delivered by Birmingham Hospice in partnership with Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board.

Paul Bytheway, Chief Executive at Birmingham Hospice, said:

“This service will help patients remain in their preferred place of care and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions by providing wraparound support.

“It will reduce the exhaustion and anxiety we know can occur when patients, loved ones and carers don’t know where to turn. Patients should not have to wait until business or operating hours to receive relief from pain or distress – every person deserves the dignity of expert care at any hour of the day or night.

“We only have one chance to get end of life care right and, with this service, we hope to transform the end-of-life experience from one of crisis into one of comfort, safety and dignity.”

Sally Roberts, Chief Clinical and Quality Officer for NHS Birmingham and Solihull and NHS Black Country, said: “We are pleased that more people will benefit from specialist care going forward, at what is often the most difficult and emotional time in their lives.

“We know that when patients receive timely, expert support in familiar surroundings, it helps prevent crises from escalating and ensures care is delivered in the most appropriate setting; something which our partners are working hard to deliver but also reflects the national ambition to move care closer to home.

“We hope this more responsive service will not only improve patient experience – by keeping people in familiar surroundings with their loved ones – but it also free up emergency resources for those who need to receive acute care.”

Funding for the SPUR service has been provided by the now-closed Macmillan Cancer Support End of Life Care Fund. Through an outcomes-based approach, Macmillan is helping to change the way health and care services are funded, so more people receive the personalised, flexible support they need and deserve. A key focus of this work is integrating palliative and end of life care services locally, improving patient outcomes and reducing avoidable hospital stays by ensuring care is delivered where people are most comfortable: at home.

Richard Ball, Head of System Investments at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “For many people approaching the end of their lives, repeated trips to hospital can add unnecessary distress at an already difficult time. Services like SPUR are about offering a better alternative; making sure people can access specialist palliative support quickly, in their own homes and communities, when they need it most

“Through the Macmillan End of Life Care Fund, we are backing new ways of delivering care that focus on what really matters to patients and families: personalised support, fewer hospital admissions and a more joined-up experience. By investing in services that demonstrate real improvements in outcomes, we can continue to reinvest in approaches that help more people receive high quality, compassionate care close to home.”

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SPUR FAQs

Who is eligible to use the SPUR service?

The service is available to members of the public, their families, and healthcare professionals across Birmingham and Solihull who require urgent specialist end of life or palliative care.

What happens when someone calls the SPUR line?

Users call Hospices of Birmingham and Solihull on 0121 809 1900 from 8am-10pm or the SPUR hotline on 0300 555 1919 (select option 2) to reach a specialist team. Depending on the need, the team will offer advice, signpost to other relevant services, or arrange a home visit within a two-hour window.

How does this differ from the hospice’s previous community support?

Previously, the Specialist Community Palliative Care service operated from 8am to 8pm. The SPUR service expands this to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, specifically targeting the critical gaps identified in overnight care.

Why was this service necessary for the Birmingham and Solihull area?

Before SPUR, out-of-hours calls were handled by a mixture of providers, which could result in delays and unnecessary visits to A&E. By providing a single point of contact, the service aims to reduce the strain on emergency services and ensure patients receive timely support.

How does this service help patients stay at home?

By providing wraparound support and rapid intervention, the SPUR team helps patients remain in their ‘preferred place of care’ (usually their own home) rather than being admitted to a hospital.

What is the scale of the new team?

The launch has created 28 new jobs, spanning both clinical and administrative positions, to ensure the 24/7 operation is fully supported.

How many patients will the service support?

The enhanced service in Year 1 could reach 30% of the estimated 5,872 patients per year in their Last Year of Life (LYL) and avoid 30% of their LYL admissions. This would equate to 11 referrals per day into the service with a level of admission avoidance of three patients per day. As the enhanced model matures admission avoidance numbers would increase to six patients per day by Year 3.

How is the SPUR service funded?

Funding for the SPUR service has been provided by the Macmillan Cancer Support End of Life Care Fund (now closed).

Who are the key partners involved in delivery?

While delivered by Birmingham Hospice, the service is run in partnership with the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB).

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About Birmingham Hospice

Birmingham Hospice offers personalised support at home, in local communities or at the hospices, helping people across Birmingham to live well with their illness, right up to the very end of life.
Birmingham Hospice has provided end of life care for communities in Birmingham, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield and Sandwell for over 100 years, through its two predecessor organisations – Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, based in Selly Park, and John Taylor Hospice in Erdington.
The charity must be referred to as Birmingham Hospice only.
The hospice supports families and carers too, throughout a person’s illness and, after their loved one has died, with bereavement support for as long as necessary.
Living Well Centre services are also provided, which help people to live well with their illness.
Birmingham Hospice is committed to training health and social care professionals, GPs, nurses and medical students in palliative care and end of life, via seminars, courses and placements.
All of our services are free of charge to everyone that uses them, including patients, family members, carers and loved ones.
It is estimated that it will cost £19 million to deliver Birmingham Hospice’s services this year.
42% of our costs need to be covered through voluntary income such as fundraising activity, income from our shops and voluntary donations.

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