Following a recent meeting of our Board, St Columba’s Hospice Care has taken the difficult decision to close our Care at Home service. This decision has not been driven by financial considerations, nor does it reflect the quality, professionalism or commitment of the Care at Home team. Their work has made a significant difference to patients and families across Edinburgh and East Lothian, and we are deeply grateful for the compassion and care they have provided.
What this decision means for our services
The Care at Home service being withdrawn is one part of our wider Hospice at Home provision. Our Hospice at Home services will continue as normal and are not affected by this decision. This includes:
- Home visits delivered by our community palliative care team
- Support provided through our virtual ward team
We want to reassure patients, families and partners that St Columba’s Hospice Care remains firmly committed to delivering high-quality, compassionate palliative and end-of-life care in the community.
Why this decision has been taken
The decision has been made in the context of changes across the wider health and social care system. In recent years, NHS provision of community-based and end-of-life care has expanded significantly across Edinburgh and East Lothian. As a result, there is now substantial overlap between NHS services and our Care at Home service.
While the need for palliative and end-of-life care is expected to continue to rise, the way care is delivered locally has changed. Continuing to operate a parallel service would increasingly duplicate provision and would not represent the most effective use of our charitable resources.
Our most recent annual report recorded 2,568 home visits in Edinburgh and 2,443 visits in East Lothian last year. These figures have naturally reduced over time as wider services have expanded, with a growing number of referrals now being supported directly by NHS teams.
Supporting patients, families and staff
Our priority throughout this process is patient safety and continuity of care. We are working closely with NHS partners to ensure that no one currently receiving support through our Care at Home service is left without appropriate care, and that transitions are handled sensitively and safely.
We recognise the impact this decision will have on colleagues working within the service. A total of nine staff are affected and are currently participating in a consultation process. At this stage, it would not be appropriate to comment further on staffing matters while these consultations are ongoing, but our focus is on supporting colleagues through what we know is a challenging time.
Wider context
We welcome the Scottish Government’s recent commitment of £6.5 million to Scotland’s hospices, announced in the latest draft budget. While this does not fully address the ongoing cost pressures facing the sector, it is a positive step and will help hospices manage some of the impact of rising costs.
A message from our Chief Executive
Jackie Stone, CEO of St Columba’s Hospice Care, said:
“Our Care at Home service was established at a time when there was limited community-based personal and social care provision for people towards the end of their lives across Edinburgh and East Lothian. Over time, the Hospice has demonstrated the value of this model of care, and both the Edinburgh and East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnerships have acknowledged this and thanked us for the contribution our team has made. That model is now embedded within their teams locally.
“The decision to withdraw our Care at Home service is not a financial one. It reflects changes in the wider health and social care landscape and the expansion of NHS provision, which means our service would increasingly duplicate care already being delivered.
“We are acutely aware of the emotional impact this decision will have on our colleagues, and we are supporting them through this process. We are also working closely in partnership with our NHS colleagues to ensure a seamless transition of care for the small number of patients and families currently receiving support, so that no one is left without care.”
https://stcolumbashospice.org.uk/news/update-on-st-columba’s-hospice-care-at-home-service
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