Latest news from Palliative Medicine

The daughter of a patient cared for at Royal Derby Hospital returned to the site to pay tribute to the compassion shown by colleagues on Ward 203 and within our Dementia teams - after their sheer determination and hard work to reunite her with her husband at their home while receiving palliative care.

The patient, named Mo, was diagnosed with hearing loss and vascular dementia and was admitted to A&E following a fall that required surgery. During her recovery from surgery, she struggled with communication and eating, prompting a referral to the Dementia Team for additional support. 

Two teams at Royal Derby Hospital and Florence Nightingale Community Hospital 'turned a dreadful situation into an amazing end' when they reunited a husband and wife for their final days.

A patient who was admitted to Ward 301 at Royal Derby Hospital praised the team for making him feel "safe and not alone" after he was admitted to the ward to receive end of life care. The patient, who will remain anonymous, wrote his letter that the team had made "an impossibly terrible situation bearable and easier, going well beyond their scope of duty".

The heart-warming feedback led to the Ward 301 team being awarded our latest Team UHDB Making a Difference Award, which was presented to them by Executive Chief Operating Officer, Sharon Martin, and members of the management team from our Cancer, Diagnostics and Clinical Support (CDCS) Division.

This week (2 December-8 December) is Grief Awareness Week.

Clare Hicklin is a Sister on Ward 2 at Florence Nightingale Community Hospital, which offers palliative care to patients.

Clare has shared her thoughts on what grief means to her and her team:

Colleagues who offer palliative care to patients nearing the end of their lives have been recognised for their compassion with a Making a Difference Award.

The team on Ward 2 at Florence Nightingale Community Hospital were given the CEO award for their continuous efforts to help terminally ill patients and their families.

Kirsty Bishop, a Complimentary Therapist at the Nightingale Macmillan Unit at Royal Derby Hospital, has been awarded with one of our monthly Making a Difference Awards for her brilliant work in the Unit.

Ward 2 at London Road Community Hospital has been shortlisted for the HSJ Patient Safety Awards for the End of Life Care Initiative of the Year award.

Retired UHDB End of Life Care Facilitator, Karen Bussooa, has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in The Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for her services to End of Life Care

Claire Beighton, Associate Clinical Nurse Specialist in Palliative Care, has shared her thoughts on what end of life care means to her in her role on the Nightingale Macmillan Unit at Royal Derby Hospital.