The team – which provides care at home for people with life-limiting illnesses in the local area – are making the move following the hospital’s announcement of planned changes to their site.
The hospice shop in Bourne is one of 25 run by the charity; the new arrangement will be the first time that nursing staff have worked alongside their colleagues in retail.
In addition to being the new base for the hospice at home team, St Barnabas intends for the Bourne site to be used by other health and social care professionals as a ‘hot desk’.
Michelle Webb, director of patient care for St Barnabas, emphasised that the move would not affect the quality of care provided by the team.
“Patient care will continue to be our priority and the move to Bourne will not change this,” she said. “Our nurses will still be caring for the same patients in the same area and access to our services will greatly improve.”
She also heralded the move as an “opportunity for future innovation” in the local community.
“Working in partnership with our shops department provides an innovative approach to greater joint working within the trust. It also allows us to put our nursing expertise on the high street and will help to increase the local community focus,” she added.
“We are hoping that the convenient location will mean that our team will be able to support members of the public directly and will offer an increased choice of services including welfare and benefits advice and support from the family support services team.”
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