A collaboration between East Coast Hospice and St Elizabeth Hospice has been announced, with the view to creating an ‘achievable and sustainable palliative and end-of-life care service’ for the communities of Great Yarmouth and Waveney.
Discussions between the two organisations are currently taking place to determine the clear features which will form the joint service, with more details set to be released later in the year, after a period of consultation with healthcare partners, stakeholders and the local community.
The alliance between East Coast Hospice and St Elizabeth Hospice will build upon, and work in conjunction with, the existing service between St Elizabeth Hospice and East Coast Community Healthcare.
A joint-partnership which, since April 2019, has delivered specialist palliative care support to more than 2,700 patients and their families in Great Yarmouth and Waveney.
Judi Newman, St Elizabeth Hospice Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are pleased to be working alongside East Coast Hospice in our shared ambition to develop an achievable and sustainable palliative and end-of-life care service for the communities of Great Yarmouth and Waveney.
“In the coming months, as a partnership, we will speak with partners, stakeholders and the local community to establish a clear plan for this service, which will ensure greater parity in the levels and range of care available to the communities of Great Yarmouth and Waveney in comparison to the wider region.
“We pay tribute to all those who have contributed to improve palliative care in Great Yarmouth and Waveney over the years and we believe this collaboration, with East Coast Hospice, is the best opportunity to join forces towards a single vision for the area and build upon the existing progress our team has made in partnership with East Coast Community Healthcare.”
Since 2007, East Coast Hospice has been working towards fulfilling its ambition of improving palliative care in Great Yarmouth and Waveney and the trustees of the hospice now look forward to working with St Elizabeth Hospice to achieve this aim.
Acting Chair of East Coast Hospice Bridget Lowe said, “St Elizabeth Hospice has done a first class job in Great Yarmouth and Waveney to date. With over 30 years’ experience in providing hospice care from its Ipswich hospice and across the East Suffolk community, and with a highly efficient fundraising team and skilled management, this collaboration will bring a much needed impetus to the East Coast Hospice project.
“The solution the parties must now devise has to be one that the community can afford to fund year on year and which fits with its current needs for palliative and hospice care. That may well be different from the existing plans and could involve a joint venture with a third party, the involvement of commercial partners and/or other charities and partners operating in the same area providing complimentary services. Every alternative should be considered and we welcome the opportunity to explore these possibilities with an experienced professional partner such as St Elizabeth Hospice.”
Tracey Bleakley, Chief Executive Designate, NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board, said: “I am delighted East Coast Hospice and St Elizabeth Hospice will be collaborating together to establish a plan that will deliver a high quality palliative and end-of-life care service for the communities of Great Yarmouth and Waveney.
“I look forward to seeing the partnership progress, as they work together to achieve their shared ambition which will provide much benefit to the people of Great Yarmouth and Waveney.”
Chair of St Elizabeth Hospice Ian Turner said, “We recognise that fundraising for sustainable hospice care is a deep commitment from volunteers and supporters, and we have huge respect for all the East Coast Hospice supporters who have done so much already to build the funds raised to date for Great Yarmouth and Waveney.
“Our shared goal now is to make sure that those funds are put to the maximum benefit for high quality sustainable hospice care into the future for the people of Great Yarmouth and Waveney.”
Further information about the St Elizabeth Hospice’s services in Great Yarmouth and Waveney can found by visiting www.stelizabethhospice.org.uk/how-we-can-help/hospice-care/great-yarmouth_and-waveney.
More information about East Coast Hospice can be found at www.eastcoasthospice.org.uk/
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About St Elizabeth Hospice
St Elizabeth Hospice improves life for people in East Suffolk through to Great Yarmouth and Waveney living with a progressive or life-limiting illness. Our work is centred on an individual’s needs, which means specialist support, whenever and wherever it is needed, whether at home, in the community or at the hospice. Through medicine and therapy we ease pain; we give life purpose and make life liveable.
About East Coast Hospice
East Coast Hospice Charity was established in 2007 and was originally named Yare Hospice Care. It was in response to a request to replicate the provision of end of life care in the Great Yarmouth area to that provided by Waveney Hospice Care in the Beccles area.
The name changed to East Coast Hospice in 2009 to better reflect the geographical area the Charity covered. By this time the objective had changed to wanting to provide an independent hospice facility providing in patient and day care services for the people of Great Yarmouth and Waveney.
By 2013 a site had been bought just south of the James Paget University Hospital and plans for a 10 bed in patient with day care facilities were subsequently approved.
Since then, a chain of 8 shops has been established which fund the day to day funding of the Charity so that all other monies raised together with grants, pledges and donations can be put towards the funding of the actual hospice. A small group of staff are employed who manage the shops and run the office facility based in Gorleston. At present the Board consists of three Trustees with nine Patrons.
Cover Photo: Chair of St Elizabeth Hospice, Ian Turner
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