Chief Executive, Maz Fosh talks about our Macmillan nurses, our palliative and end of life care services

Towards the end of this month there is an increased focus on support for cancer sufferers with the Macmillan Cancer Support World Coffee morning, so I thought I would dedicate this column to talking about the roles of our Macmillan nurses and our palliative and end of life care services.

At Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) we care for patients who are nearing the end of their life and we also provide palliative care beds at our community hospitals and at the Butterfly Hospice. These beds are not just for people with cancer but for all palliative and end of life care needs.

The Butterfly Hospice is a partnership between ourselves (LCHS) and the Butterfly Hospice Trust. It is purpose built with six individual patient rooms on four acres of ground near to Pilgrim Hospital, Boston.

The hospice provides high quality palliative, end of life and respite care in an informal and homely environment for adults with life-limiting illnesses.

We also provide beds on Archer Ward at County Hospital Louth for palliative care, on Scotter Ward at John Coupland Hospital in Gainsborough for end of life care, in the Tulip Suite on Welland Ward for palliative, end of life and respite care at Johnson Community Hospital in Spalding and on Scarbrough Ward at Skegness Hospital for palliative and end of care for patients.

A range of staff provide care on the wards including occupational therapists, physiotherapists and nurses. They also have well established links with other medical professionals. The ward staff work hard to maintain a close working relationship with community colleagues, carers, patients’ friends and all those involved in caring for the patient.

We also have a number of Macmillan nurses across the county who work mainly in the community and are linked to GP surgeries. The Macmillan nurses work closely with community nurses and host educational events to enhance professionals’ knowledge on palliative care. Our Macmillan nurses also provide a range of services and support to families and carers and can signpost them to other services who can help with their particular needs.

Macmillan Cancer Support World Coffee Morning is on Friday, 27 September and I’m sure many of you will be attending or contributing to one. It’s a great opportunity to catch up with friends, family or work colleagues over a cuppa and a treat and donate to a worthwhile cause.

We are encouraging our staff to host or attend a coffee morning where possible, so we can help everyone with cancer to live life as fully as they can.