St Oswald’s Hospice response to Coronavirus

We no longer ask visitors to show proof of a negative lateral flow test prior to visiting St Oswald’s Hospice Adult Inpatient Unit. However we continue to ask visitors to wash their hands and wear surgical facemasks when in the Hospice.

If you feel unwell in any way please contact the Nurse in Charge before visiting.

If your loved one is very unwell an individualised visiting plan may be put in place at the discretion of the senior clinical team

If you have any questions, please speak to the Nurse in Charge or contact the Adult Inpatient Unit on 0191 285 0063 ext. 2004.

Thank you for your cooperation.

The Adult Inpatient Unit team.

St Oswald’s bereavement team will support anyone who feels they need support following the death of a loved one. We have a team of dedicated bereavement practitioners and volunteers who can provide one to one support in a safe and confidential environment or telephone support if preferred. We also provide bereavement support for children aged four to eighteen following the death of a loved one.

There is an opportunity to attend bereavement groups that run throughout the year.

Thank you.

The Bereavement Support Service.

The service is open as normal and we have been receiving a number of phone calls from parents seeking advice. If your child is due to stay with us, please continue to call us on 0191 246 9060 as we are reviewing each child/ young adult on an individual basis. Alternatively, if you are looking for further guidance please visit the WellChild website.

From Monday, 23^rd March 2020, the way we deliver services within our Focus on Living Centre has changed.  We are now offering individual support at the hospice or at home, one-to-one support and counselling over the phone, and online group sessions.

From April 2021, we’re also delivering an Ambulatory Care service within our Focus on Living Centre.

Patients and carers have all been informed these changes and if you have any queries please call the service on 0191 285 0063 ext 2070.

The service has changed the way it is operating for many of our patients. Depending on individual patient need, contact will now either be a telephone review, bandaging treatment at home, or treatment at the clinic at St Oswald’s.

If you are unwell, especially if you have any of the previously mentioned Coronavirus symptoms, or a member of your household does, please:

• do not attend your appointment and let us know as soon as you can.
• if a member of staff is due to visit you in your home, please get in touch and we’ll work with you to decide the best way forward for your treatment.

Alternatively, if you are self-isolating or choose not to attend your appointment for another reason, please let us know as far in advance of your appointment as possible.

If you have any queries please call the Lymphoedema Service on 0191 246 9050.

We are constantly monitoring the Coronavirus situation and some changes have been made to some of our services (mentioned above). However, please continue to refer patients in to our services.

A number of email messages and intranet updates have been issued to our workforce as the situation develops. If you don’t have access to emails, please speak to your Line Manager or Volunteer Link.

As you’ll be aware, government Covid-19 restrictions are being lifted from Monday (19th July). Our Retail Team have been reviewing current guidance and to ensure mutual safety of our staff, volunteers and customers many of the existing Covid-19 safety procedures we have in place in our shops and warehouse will remain in place. This includes our changing rooms being closed, till screens, hand sanitiser and the one way systems in place. All of our staff and volunteers will also continue to wear masks as a mandatory piece of PPE within two metres of someone.

We are asking our customers to continue to follow the guidance in place in our shops, including wearing face coverings. As before, this will not include anyone who is exempt. Please respect this decision.

Thank you in advance for your understanding, cooperation and your ongoing support. We are so grateful and couldn’t provide the care we do for North East people without you.

Each shop has different opening times and donation policies and some of our so be sure to check out our shop pages for full information.

From Monday 16^th March, any group gatherings which are due to take place on-site with external contacts, will be cancelled, postponed or held via other means. Please speak to your St Oswald’s contact for more information.

“We are pleased to let you know that we have received some of the funding which the Government agreed to provide to Hospices across the UK, including St Oswald’s on 8^th April 2020. We are very grateful to the Government for this funding and to Hospice UK who helped to secure it, and continues to handle this process on our behalf. The funding is a welcome boost and eases the pressure a little, particularly with immediate cash flow, however we are under no illusion that this will cover all costs, and so continue to need the support of our local community during this critical time.

As a local charity, we rely on, and are very grateful for the generosity of our supporters to help us raise the £7.5 million needed each year through charitable giving. This kind support ensures we can continue to provide expert and outstanding care services to all who need us. Thank you for your support.”

Steph Edusei

Chief Executive, St Oswald’s Hospice