Two of Dorset’s adult hospices – Lewis-Manning Hospice Care at Poole and Dorchester-based Weldmar Hospicecare have joined the Dorset Care Record.
The hospices, which offer free of charge specialist palliative nursing care to people with life-limiting illnesses, will be able to receive the most up to date information available from health and social care organisations across the county.
They will also be able to provide end of life care information which will be useful for other DCR partners.
Hospices in Dorset take patient referrals from different sources – hospital, GPs or community healthcare professionals. Often these are complex cases as patients have tended to move around the health and social care system in the months leading up to hospice care.
It is often challenging for hospices to get all the relevant patient information from different health and care organisations, so having read-only access to the DCR will enable them to have a comprehensive understanding of the patient’s medications.
Peter Gill, Senior Reporting Officer, said: “Shared care records are key to the efficient delivery of effective care and I am delighted that we now have two of Dorset’s hospices receiving information and inputting data through the DCR.”
Director of Clinical Services at Lewis-Manning Hospice Care, Hayley Bonner said:
“The opportunity to be part of this partnership will expand our current patient experience and continues our commitment to put patients, carers and their loved ones at the heart of everything we do. We want to ensure our patient’s healthcare journey is as smooth and efficient as possible as it can be an extremely tough time for the people and families who are living with a life-limiting condition.”
Director of Clinical Services at Weldmar Hospicecare Caroline Sweetland added:
“We sometimes hear from patients and their families that they have to repeat their story to a number of different professionals involved in their care. Sharing information on the Dorset Care Record is brilliant and will really help with the coordination of care for patients and families. This is a great step forward.”
More than 5,700 trained staff can use the DCR and over 1.5m patient records have been accessed during the lifetime of the shared care record.
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Further Information:
The Dorset Care Record is a confidential computer record that is joining up different systems to create a more comprehensive and up-to-date record about patients across the county.
It is a partnership supported by NHS Dorset, Dorset County Hospital, University Hospitals Dorset, Dorset HealthCare, Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council.
For further information about the DCR, please contact Communications and Engagement Manager Tony McDougal – tony.mcdougal@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk or telephone (07766133788).
About Lewis-Manning Hospice Care:
Lewis-Manning Hospice Care is a charity providing extraordinary care to patients and their loved ones facing a life-limiting illness across East Dorset & Purbeck. They offer a range of free hospice care services aimed at helping people to live well through their illness, closer to home. These include:
– Day hospices, virtual and in person
– Creative arts & wellbeing support
– Lymphoedema clinic
– Breathlessness clinic
– Bereavement & family support
– Complementary therapy
– Hospice at home
Every year Lewis-Manning supports around 600 local people and develop new services, based on patient need and identified gaps in the area. To do this the charity needs to raise over £3.4m every year. Without these funds the charity could not exist. Their important work increases people’s physical and social wellbeing, reduces isolation and loneliness, supports people to stay in their homes longer, and alleviates the huge pressures on family and carers.
lewis-manning.org.uk
Registered charity no. 1120193
About Weldmar Hospicecare:
Weldmar Hospicecare is an independent charity that provides specialist end of life care to adults in Dorset with a life limiting illness and supports their loved ones. All their care is provided for free, and they are rated Outstanding by the CQC.
This care takes place in the comfort of patients’ own homes with a team of Weldmar Community Nurses, and the Weldmar at Home service for those who wish to spend their final days in the familiar and comfortable surroundings of home.
There is an Inpatient Unit in Dorchester, set in beautiful grounds, and there are support services for patients and families in the community.
Weldmar’s team includes physiotherapists, occupational therapists, bereavement counsellors, complementary therapists, specialist chefs, social workers, volunteers who provide spiritual care, and more. All the services are tailored to meet the needs of the individual patient and their loved ones.
The charity is supported by the local community through fundraising and a chain of charity shops and outlets across the county, raising the £18,000 a day that Weldmar needs to keep its services running.
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