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Latest News and Happenings at St Luke’s Plymouth. Follow our blog or sign up to our newsletter for our latest news.

St Luke's Men's Day Out 2022
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PR: Guy power! – thousands of men on the march for hospice care

St Luke's Men's Day Out 2022
Men’s Day Out 2022 – your highlight’s

A multitude of men gathered in solidarity at the weekend to show their support for one of Plymouth’s best-loved charities and the specialist service it provides for local families.

St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth’s sell-out event Men’s Day Out, which returned on Saturday 23 April, saw 2,000 men walk a 12km route, starting and finishing at Plymouth Albion RFC. With many stepping out in memory of loved ones cared for by the charity, the annual event is the biggest men’s charity walk in the South West, if not the whole of the UK.

Sponsored by JEM Scaffolding Ltd, the day of fun and banter was enjoyed by men of all ages and fitness levels, raising much-needed funds to help St Luke’s continue its compassionate care for local people with terminal illness in their last months, weeks and days of life.

The charity, which has been providing its service free of charge to patients for 40 years, relies on the support it receives from the community to do this. Looking after people with cancer, motor neurone disease and other progressive, life-limiting conditions, the hospice team provides not only expert medical care but vital emotional support for patients and their relatives and friends, making a difference at the toughest of times.

Importantly, Men’s Day Out gives the guys who take part the opportunity to talk as well as walk, supporting each other and sharing memories of those close to them who have died but will never be forgotten. Recognising that it is often the case that men struggle to reach out for support when they need it, this year’s event was also attended by national mental health charity Samaritans.

Participant Darren West from Plympton, who was walking in memory of his mum, said: “The atmosphere at Men’s Day Out is really relaxed, and as guys we find it easier to chat with each other over a beer. I think the event has a very positive effect in that way as well as raising money for such an important cause.”

Among the other men taking part was Jared Lovell from Derriford, walking in memory of his grandmother Sandra Cross, who was looked after by the hospice at home before sadly, she died in 2020.

Jared, who was walking with his stepdad Dean Roberts, said: “Nan was such a special person, who always saw the best in people and brought out the best in them, too. She was the matriarch of the family and the glue that held us all together.

“The care she received from St Luke’s at home at the end of her life was superb and it helped granddad, too, easing some of the pressure on him. Doing Men’s Day Out is a great way to give something back to the charity that helped our family just as it does for so many others.”

Also taking part was Antony King from Plympton, walking in tribute to his father-in-law, Adrian. Antony, who was joined on the walk by friend Kevin Wearne, said: “Adrian was an amazing man. He was very intellectual and outgoing, and he loved travelling to Italy with his wife Mary. When he got cancer, it was a such a difficult time so we were really grateful when the hospice team got involved.

“Adrian was looked after by St Luke’s at Turnchapel and then they cared for him at home because that’s where he wanted to spend his last days. St Luke’s staff are second to none and Plymouth is very lucky to have them. That’s why we support the charity as much as can through events like Men’s Day Out, Tour de Moor and Open Gardens.”

Nina Wearne, Partnerships Manager at St Luke’s, said: “There is something very heart-warming about seeing so many men turn out in support of St Luke’s, and with 2022 being our charity’s 40th anniversary year, this time it felt even more special.

“A huge thank-you to everyone who took part and raised thousands of pounds to help us meet the rising cost of providing our service for families across Plymouth and its surrounding areas. We are also very grateful to the local companies who get behind our event and, of course, to our all our wonderful volunteers, who kindly give their time to help the day run smoothly.

“Such kindness from our community has kept St Luke’s going for the past 40 years, and income generated from our events, including Men’s Day Out, will help us continue doing what we do best, looking after people with terminal illness so they can make the most of every day and create precious memories with the people who matter most to them.”

Register your interest for Men’s Day Out 2023

25th April 2022
https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/MDO22-POST-EVENT-BLOG-HEADER.jpg 773 1030 Robert Maltby https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/stlukeslogo.gif Robert Maltby2022-04-25 11:47:222022-04-28 10:49:44PR: Guy power! – thousands of men on the march for hospice care
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Run for St Luke’s and go the distance in our 40th anniversary year

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Run for St Luke’s and go the distance in our 40th anniversary year

If ever there was a year to run in aid St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth, this is it!

Whether you’re an experienced runner or fairly new to the sport, we’re asking you to put your best foot forward for our patients in our 40th anniversary year by signing up to take part in Britain’s Ocean City Running Festival on Sunday 19 June or the London Marathon on Sunday 2 October.

With 40 – and hopefully, many more! – big-hearted people like you running the 5k, 10k or half marathon to raise much-needed funds for St Luke’s, we’ll be able to reach more of the local families who rely on our compassionate care and support at the toughest time of their lives.

Perhaps you’ve run in support of our charity before, or maybe this will be the first time – either way, it shows great kindness for your community.

Whichever race you sign up to, we couldn’t be more grateful. You’ll help us keep going that extra mile for our patients and their loved ones so they can make precious memories together when time is running short.

Britain’s Ocean City Running Festival

Right here in our great city on 19 June 2022, there’s the opportunity to take on a 5k, 10k or even a half marathon to fundraise for our charity, so we’re seeking 40 (or more!) runners who are up for the challenge.

Sign up to support St Luke’s and run a route widely respected as one of the most challenging in the UK as well as full of local landmarks.

 

17th March 2022
https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/RunBlog.png 773 1030 Gabby Nott https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/stlukeslogo.gif Gabby Nott2022-03-17 17:10:492022-03-17 17:10:49Run for St Luke’s and go the distance in our 40th anniversary year
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It’s Midnight Walk! Step back in time for local hospice care

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It’s Midnight Walk! Step back in time for local hospice care

We’re taking you back to the past to raise vital funds that will help local families for generations to come.

Our iconic Midnight Walk is back on Friday 22 July, when it is set to be awash with women embracing this year’s theme of 1982, which is when our hospice – then based at Syrena House in Plymstock – welcomed our first patients.

But that’s not all! As well as the retro theme to mark four decades of St Luke’s compassionate care and support for families across Plymouth and surrounding areas, this year – for the first time – we have added a new 2.5-mile route to the popular annual event.

While this shorter walk has been introduced so that young children can be part of Midnight Walk, both this distance and the 5, 10 and 15-mile routes are open to all girls and boys aged up to 17, as well as adult women, so that doing good in the community can be more of a family affair.

Sponsored by local company Drakes Jewellers, Midnight Walk is an opportunity for women and children to come together and celebrate the lives of relatives and friends who have died but will never be forgotten, sharing precious memories and creating new ones as they stride the streets of Plymouth in aid of St Luke’s.

Leaving from – and returning to – Plymouth Argyle Football Club’s Home Park Stadium, they will be raising funds that will help us continue our specialist service caring for terminally ill people at home, in hospital and at Turnchapel and providing emotional support for them and their families.

Speaking about the event, Penny Hannah, Head of Fundraising, said: “If ever there was a year for coming together to walk in memory of lost loved ones, this is it – St Luke’s 40th anniversary year.

“As part of marking such a special milestone, we’ve made Midnight Walk more family friendly so that children can join in and enjoy the party atmosphere, too. It feels fitting to be doing this as we look to the next 40 years and build our charity’s resilience so that we can be here for all the local families who will need us in the future.

“This summer’s Midnight Walk is an opportunity for us to come together as a community to pay tribute to each and every person the hospice team has had the privilege of looking after since our specialist service began, in 1982. We’re inviting our walkers to bring a copy of a favourite photo of their lost loved one and add it to our Memory Wall on the night – they are welcome to do this even if that person was not a patient of St Luke’s.

“Whether they have taken part in our event before or are participating for the first time, we can’t wait to see our supporters in their pink tee-shirts, embracing our 1982 theme and enjoying what is always a really uplifting atmosphere! What really makes the night for everybody though, is that they’re doing what they can to help local families going through the toughest of times, showing great kindness for them.”

Registration for Midnight Walk costs £24 for those aged 11 and over and £12 for children aged ten and under. Click here for more information and to sign up.

18th March 2022
https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Midnight-Walk-2022-Blog-Header.jpg 773 1030 Gabby Nott https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/stlukeslogo.gif Gabby Nott2022-03-18 10:00:182022-03-18 10:06:17It’s Midnight Walk! Step back in time for local hospice care
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BLOG: Open Island Guided Tour 2022

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Open Island Guided Tour 2022

This is your chance to explore the exciting and historic Drake’s Island, set in the beautiful surroundings of Plymouth Sound. This promises to be a fascinating journey into Drake’s Island’s story through the ages.

During its fascinating history, the Island – which was born out of the sea 400 million years ago – has been a place of pilgrimage, a refuge, a fort, a prison and an observatory, while local people of a certain age are most likely to remember it as an adventure centre in the 1960s and 70s.

With the site being out of bounds to the general public since 1989, it is a place many long to visit so they can discover its secrets and learn about its past. Those lucky enough to snap up one of the places to visit the historic location will get the opportunity to do just that as they get the lowdown from the Island’s Warden, avid historian Bob King, who will lead the tour.

The day includes a historical guided tour and exploration of the hidden network of abandoned underground tunnels.

This adventure could make a memorable gift to someone, or simply a very special way to raise funds for St Luke’s. All ticket sales will go directly to our charity (except a small booking fee).

Update May 2022

St Luke’s tours of Drake’s Island have now sold out! However, you are still able to book guided Drake’s Island tours with our partners at GIUK who have kindly offered to donate a percentage of their tour sales to St Luke’s. Book your tickets online here!

25th March 2022
https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Open-Island-2022-Blog-Header.jpg 773 1030 Gabby Nott https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/stlukeslogo.gif Gabby Nott2022-03-25 16:14:232022-05-23 15:49:55BLOG: Open Island Guided Tour 2022
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BLOG: Open Gardens 2022

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Open Gardens 2022

Always an annual highlight, our Open Gardens season feels even more special this time around. That’s because 2022 is our 40th anniversary year!

We simply couldn’t have reached this milestone without the kindness of all our supporters. This includes everyone who attends our Open Gardens and, of course, the big-hearted people who throw open their beautiful gardens to welcome them. Together, over the 12 years the scheme has been running, you have raised more than £429,000 to help local families receive our charity’s compassionate care, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

A huge thank you to NFU Mutual Plymouth for sponsoring this year’s scheme – please look out for their stand at our gardens this season.

Whether you’re a green-fingered guru or someone who simply enjoys being outside in the beauty of nature, we’ve got a diverse selection of enchanting gardens to delight and inspire you this season. Many of our featured gardens are hidden gems not normally open to the public, so visiting is a rare chance for you to get an insight into garden planning and planting schemes. For a Mothering Sunday treat, we have the opening of Gnaton Hall’s spectacular spring gardens on 27 March. Come and explore this private estate and enjoy tea and cake on the lawns.

Gnaton Hall | 27 March | 2pm – 5pm | PL8 2HU

Gnaton Hall image

Enjoy over five acres. which include a spectacular display of daffodils, walled gardens and grand Magnolia trees. Peaceful woodland walks surround the terraced lawns, where a selection of delicious cakes will be served.

Mothecombe | 15 May | 11am – 5pm | PL8 1LB

Mothecombe image

Approached through its pretty hamlet of thatched cottages, Mothecombe has a formal walled garden with a terrace by Sir Edwin Lutyens. A gravel walk through the orchard and bluebell woods, planted with a wide variety interesting trees and shrubs, leads past the bog gardens and down to the private beach.

Flete House | 3 July | 12 – 5pm | PL21 9NZ

Flete House image

The enigmatic and fascinating Flete House is surrounded with elegantly landscaped parkland estate. The Italianate gardens, shrubbery and water gardens are complimented by some excellent specimen trees and panoramic views of the beautiful South Hams. Join us for exclusive access to the private and historic Devon estate.

These and all our other Open Gardens provide an enjoyable and inspiring way for our supporters to raise vital funds for local hospice care. Please let your family and friends know so that they can visit, too. The more people who support our events, the more families St Luke’s can help across Plymouth, West Devon and East Cornwall.

Tickets are available on the day, and we have a contactless payment facility as well as accepting cash. Entry is free for under-16s. We aim to offer refreshments and plant sales at all our gardens, where possible.

On behalf of all of us at St Luke’s – and everyone we look after- a big thank-you to our visitors, garden owners and volunteers who make our Open Gardens scheme so popular and successful.

For directions and details visit our Open Gardens webpage.

16th March 2022
https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Open-Gardens-2022-Blog-Header.jpg 773 1030 Gabby Nott https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/stlukeslogo.gif Gabby Nott2022-03-16 10:57:362022-03-17 09:02:21BLOG: Open Gardens 2022
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BLOG: Volunteers at the heart of local hospice care

Volunteers at a shop opening

People Experience Manager Claire Boosey, whose role is to help ensure everyone in St Luke’s workforce feels recognised and valued, pays tribute to the volunteers whose support is so crucial to the service our hospice provides.

“The dictionary defines a volunteer as someone who freely gives their time to take part in a task, but I know from experience that what St Luke’s volunteers contribute is about so much more than the hours they put in.

“We really appreciate all the community-spirited people who join us in a voluntary capacity. They come from a such a variety of career backgrounds: catering, carpentry, retail, finance and social care, to name just few. Their experience and skills are a great asset to our charity, and for each person we always try to find the role that’s the best fit for them, from being part of our bereavement support service for families to helping with the maintenance of our buildings.

“With growing demands on our charity’s resources, we simply couldn’t do all that we do, as well as we do it, without our volunteers. Age-wise they range from 15 to 93, but what unites them is their compassion for the people who are the very reason St Luke’s exists, our patients and their families. Our volunteers have in common a strong desire to make a difference to them in whatever way they can as part of our valued team.

“Volunteers have always been the lifeblood of St Luke’s. It was thanks to a small band of fervent, unpaid campaigners that support for hospice care in Plymouth was first ignited 40 years ago. Enough money was raised to buy Syrena House in Plymstock and have it converted so that St Luke’s could welcome its first patients, in 1982. Ever since then, we’ve steadily recruited more volunteers as our service has expanded across the community.

“For many, assisting us is their way of saying thank-you for the superb care their loved one received, while others simply want to broaden their horizons or gain valuable experience.

“A huge thank-you to all our volunteers, past and present. In taking St Luke’s to your hearts, you’ve made more of a difference than you may ever know. Our message to anyone considering volunteering with us is, please get in touch! You can contact our People Services team on 01752 964355 or at volunteer@stlukes-hospice.org.uk. Whether you’d like to give a couple of mornings a week or just a few hours, you’ll be part of a friendly team working together to help more local families who desperately need St Luke’s.”

With 36 years’ service, Jeannie Norris, who lives in Eggbuckland, is one of the hospice’s longest-serving volunteers. The big-hearted great-grandmother is part of the team at the Drake City Centre charity shop.

Jeannie said, “My late partner Jim was looked after by St Luke’s at Turnchapel, so I know what a haven it is.

“Serving customers in the shop is about so much more than the just the transactions – you’re there to represent all St Luke’s stands for today, as it always has: respect, kindness and compassion. I get so much out of it and it’s very sociable. I’d definitely recommend it.”

Volunteer Adrian Frost began giving his time as a van driver for St Luke’s before training as a befriender and bereavement visitor.

Adrian said, “Some people find just one visit is all they require, while others I see several times. My role is about helping them take their first steps after their bereavement, until they can move forward more confidently. So, I could be helping them with practicalities, or simply listening. I can’t imagine my life without this role now, and I consider it a privilege to be allowed into their lives.”

John Horwell’s beloved wife Margaret was looked after at Turnchapel before sadly, she died in 2016. Having joined St Luke’s as a volunteer seven months ago, John gives a few hours a week to help maintain the grounds around the specialist unit.

John, who lives in Down Thomas, said: “Everyone at hospice is so friendly, and it means a lot to me that I am trusted to get on with whatever needs doing in the gardens and along the driveway. When I see families arriving, my heart goes out to them because I relate to what they are going through, but I know that with St Luke’s they are in the very best of hands. It comforts me to know I am giving something back to the charity for looking after Margaret so well.”

1st March 2022
https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/VOLUNTEER-BLOG.png 773 1030 Gabby Nott https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/stlukeslogo.gif Gabby Nott2022-03-01 06:30:372022-02-11 14:41:40BLOG: Volunteers at the heart of local hospice care
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BLOG: High-quality integrated care that benefits patients at the end of their lives

40th anniversary integrated care article header

High-quality integrated care that benefits patients at the end of their lives

On our 40th anniversary, we’ve been talking about the history of our charity from its beginnings at Syrena House in Plymstock, in 1982. Much has changed since the days when the specialism of hospice care was completely new to most of the UK, including Plymouth, and St Luke’s was limited to just seven beds for patients. 

Now, four decades on from the cramped conditions of Syrena House – the suburban property that was bought and converted thanks to huge community support so that our hospice could begin giving its specialist care to terminally ill people nearing the end of their lives – St Luke’s looks after up to 300 patients at any one time, supporting their families and carers, too.

Central to this is our integrated approach to patient care, which involves working closely with other health and social care providers, from GPs and district nurses to hospitals and care homes. This is what ensures people living with progressive life-limiting conditions, such as cancer, motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis, are looked after compassionately and as seamlessly as possible whether they are at home, in hospital or at Turnchapel.

“Always pioneering, St Luke’s was the first hospice in the UK to adopt this more collaborative way of working, in 2005.”

Always pioneering, St Luke’s was the first hospice in the UK to adopt this more collaborative way of working, in 2005. Many other hospices up and down the country then learned from its example, following a similar approach for the benefit of people living and dying with terminal illness.

Innovative since its beginning, St Luke’s has evolved to meet the changing needs of our patients. This means our highly trusted service reaches far beyond the walls of the specialist inpatient unit, with our community team on the road 365 days a year across Plymouth and its surrounding areas so that, wherever possible, people who want to be looked after at home can realise their wish.

Chief Executive Steve Statham said: “For each and every one of our patients, we strive to give the very best personalised care in the place that is right for them. For many, this means staying in the familiar surroundings of home, as long as it is safe to do so. Wherever we look after them though, it is always with a focus on what matters most to them, helping them to be as at ease as possible.

“We are privileged and proud to do what we do, but it is only made possible thanks to the generous support our charity receives from the community around us. A huge thank you to everyone who embraces St Luke’s, from our volunteers, donors and fundraisers to the healthcare partners who collaborate with us to ensure our patients receive such well co-ordinated, compassionate care.”

When manager Matt Geoffrey needed St Luke’s care in his early 40s, our community team looked after him at home so that he could stay with his wife Sarah and their two young children.

Sarah said: “Matt was determined he did not want to die in hospital, and it was St Luke’s that helped make a plan so that he could be at home, including supplying a wheelchair and special bed.

“The team was with us the whole way through and made it possible for us to still be a family. Thanks to them, our kids were able to be kids, which was amazing, and Matt was able to live to the end in the way he wanted to.

“It’s really hard to sum up how I feel about everything they did for us, but they were like our family’s professional comfort blanket. I can’t thank them enough.”

Music fan and family man Jim Tozer was looked after by St Luke’s at home before sadly, he died in 2019.

His wife Jeanette said: “Being a nurse meant I was able to care for Jim at home, but when his condition deteriorated and he required specialist help, St Luke’s nurse Sonja was amazing. She was a reassuring presence for us all.”

Claire Behennah’s daughter Chloe was just 22 when she needed the care of St Luke’s team at Turnchapel in 2017.

Claire said: “My last journey with my beautiful daughter was in an ambulance from hospital to Turnchapel after we decided as a family it was where Chloe should be looked after when she became really poorly.

“Going there was absolutely the right decision. It doesn’t feel clinical at all and from the moment we arrived, everyone from the doctors to the porters treated us with the utmost respect.

“I’m forever grateful to St Luke’s for what they did for us. I remember Chloe telling me she felt like princess when she was able to use the bath with lights and music. To feel like a princess in a hospice really is special.”

At the end of his life, Tom Hammond, 30, from Tavistock was looked after by St Luke’s at home following several weeks at Turnchapel. This meant he could spend precious time with his wife Jess, their daughter Poppy and Josh, Tom’s son from a previous relationship.

Jess said: “St Luke’s came once a day and then more frequently as our needs changed. They did as much as they could to help, and it meant I got a little break from looking after Tom and could spend time one-on-one with Poppy. What they did for us gave us the most amazing three weeks together at home.”

When Tom’s condition worsened, it was St Luke’s End of Life Urgent Care team that stepped in, visiting four times a day.

Jess said: “They were so kind and so calm, and because of their training they were able to alert me when Tom was nearing his last hours.”

22nd February 2022
https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/INTERCARE-BLOG.jpg 773 1030 Gabby Nott https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/stlukeslogo.gif Gabby Nott2022-02-22 06:30:132022-02-10 15:52:15BLOG: High-quality integrated care that benefits patients at the end of their lives
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BLOG: Life begins at 40 – St Luke’s reaches maturity

Life begins at 40 – St Luke’s reaches maturity

Today, one of the people at the forefront of the specialist end-of-life care St Luke’s provides, Medical Consultant Dr Jeff Stephenson, shares his reflections on two decades with our charity.

“It is said that at the age of about 40 life can become richer because one has the skills, wisdom and means to make it so. Plymouth’s own hospice charity reached middle age this week and has matured well.  I have worked as Consultant at St Luke’s for about 20 of those years, and it has been a privilege to be a part of its journey.

“While much has changed, some things haven’t: the passion, patience and professionalism of staff and volunteers across the organisation, the bedrock on which our excellence is built; and the goodwill, generosity and support of the people of Plymouth and its surrounds.  And so many of the patients and families whom we serve continue to inspire by their fortitude, resilience and grace in the face of terminal illness.

“The place has certainly changed.  The hospice building has undergone several renovations but it continues to provide an atmosphere of peace and calm that is often therapeutic in itself – the ‘hospice effect.’  And our community services recently returned to the hospice site after two relocations, with potential for more seamless working between inpatient and community teams.  Things come full circle!

“St Luke’s has become more prominent both locally and nationally, with the integration of our clinical services across Plymouth, the expansion of our hospital team and our community services, and our innovative and pioneering projects, service developments and educational initiatives.  We have changed perceptions about what we do, and are probably less thought of as simply the ‘hospice on the hill’.  However, the association of our services with a hospice building can still be persistent despite our messaging about being a ‘hospice without walls’ influencing care in whatever setting patients find themselves.

“While the care we deliver hasn’t changed much, the processes around it have become more complex and time-consuming.  The pioneering, seat-of-the-pants freedom of the early hospice movement was still evident to a degree at St Luke’s when I started.  It has since been squeezed, though not completely suffocated, by the increasing regulatory and bureaucratic frameworks of mainstream healthcare – and quite rightly so in many respects, but we seem to expend much more effort on activities to prove and validate what we do.  Sometimes, a casualty of that can be the luxury of time to spend with those whose time is running short, something that was our great strength with a focus on ‘being with’ rather than ‘doing to’ and a counter to the notion that dying is something to be fixed.  But we willingly embrace such frustrations in pursuit of our vision for better end-of-life care for all.

“And here is where St Luke’s has most obviously matured, and arguably secured its future in our community – the adoption of a coherent vision.  In my early years I can’t recall a clear vision.  We provided exemplary care to those we looked after or were involved with, and we influenced care elsewhere through education and training, and it felt good and rewarding to do so.  But it was an uncomfortable fact that while we provided a Rolls Royce service to a few who happened to be referred to us, many others weren’t getting an adequate level of support.  And despite the great progress that had been made there were still people who were dying badly.  Then about seven years ago, as we grappled with the challenges posed by changing demographics and predictions of future care needs, a vision crystallised.

“A community where no person has to die alone, in pain or in distress.  I am proud to have had a part in developing this vision.  It is an expansive one, extremely ambitious and yet eminently possible.  It looks beyond St Luke’s, recognising that we can’t provide such care to everyone that needs it, shifting the emphasis somewhat from our direct care to our role in training, teaching, equipping and supporting others, including care home staff.  It has made us more secure in our identity and given confidence about our future role in the changing healthcare environment.

“It was a driver for the decision to reduce our number of beds and focus more resource on the community.  It has validated the time and resource we have devoted to training other professionals – in my time we have had about 60 trainee GPs working for us, and hosted over a thousand medical students on placements, in addition to students in nursing and other disciplines.  And it has motivated us to seek opportunities to collaborate with external healthcare partners, such as Livewell Southwest and Marie Curie.

“We have come a long way.  But there is still a long way to go.  I had hoped that by now we would have better treatments for some of the symptoms we deal with, but most of the drugs and approaches we use haven’t really changed.  I had hoped that we would have a fairer and more effective social care system, without which our vision simply cannot be achieved.  I had hoped that we would have changed the narrative about death and dying to a much greater extent.  It seems to me that there can still be a temptation to over-treat, trying to stave off death for a little longer in a society that has largely lost any sense of there being anything more important.  Yet paradoxically, our society now appears closer than ever to opening the door to euthanasia and assisted suicide, with seismic repercussions for end-of-life care, and perhaps testament to our collective failure to capture the public imagination with what a better way can look like.

“All this presents huge challenges for St Luke’s.  But we are ready to face them.  And in many ways the pandemic has better equipped us to do so.  We have demonstrated our resilience and adaptability, and there is a greater internal cohesiveness.  We are collaborating more effectively with external services.  And we have been given the opportunity and privilege of refining who we are and what we do going forward.  Here’s to the next 40 years!”

15th February 2022
https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/JEFF-BLOG-1.jpg 773 1030 Gabby Nott https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/stlukeslogo.gif Gabby Nott2022-02-15 06:30:192022-02-11 15:03:03BLOG: Life begins at 40 – St Luke’s reaches maturity
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BLOG: Dr Mary Nugent remembers

Dr Mary Nugent in garden

On the 40th anniversary of St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth, we began our series focusing on the past of our charity that has touched the lives of so many local families over the past four decades. Today, we share the reflections of Dr Mary Nugent, who started as a young doctor at the hospice in our early years and soon became a central figure in the small yet dynamic team whose dedication, skills and compassion helped shape the specialist service for which St Luke’s is still renowned today.

Having been recruited by St Luke’s first Medical Director, Dr Sheila Cassidy, who spotted her potential and went on to become her mentor, Dr Mary – as she became known to everyone – joined the hospice in 1985. This was at Syrena House in Plymstock, the forerunner of the specialist inpatient unit at Turnchapel that was bought and converted, thanks to huge support from local people who believed in St Luke’s mission to relieve the pain and distress of terminally ill people nearing the end of their lives.

Dr Mary quickly found her vocation looking after patients holistically, recognising that in listening and focussing on what matters to them, alleviating their pain and putting them at ease, people with conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease can live well to the end of their lives and die with dignity.

Together, Sheila and Mary – plus the small team of nurses alongside them – developed this as their way of working, ensuring patients felt understood and uplifted and their families supported and reassured.

Dr Mary said: “When I joined St Luke’s, I could see how innovative the team was, giving bespoke care to terminally ill people as inpatients instead of them having to stay in hospital or being looked after at home. As a young doctor though, I could barely even spell palliative care so I was in at the deep end, and that’s how my journey with the hospice began.

“Space was incredibly tight at Syrena House, but we used every inch for the care and comfort our patients. We all crammed in together and just made it work. The bathroom even became the doctor’s office and we had a makeshift desk across the bath! There were just seven patient beds initially, with three more added later because patient referrals kept on coming.

“I found my niche at the hospice because we had the luxury of time to love and look after our patients. What we were doing was desperately needed by people in Plymouth and surrounding areas, and it was exciting to be part of developing something that was so pioneering.

“The camaraderie was tremendous, too. We were friends working together, all to help people who were in the last stages of life. I was quickly building on my basic medical knowledge, learning about the anatomy of being very sick and the effects and benefits of new drugs, then taking to the road to teach young doctors around the country about what we were doing and why it was so important.

“You have to remember that palliative care wasn’t recognised as a medical specialism until early 1994 – since which time is has grown and grown – so we were all just seen as ‘hospice doctors’. Recognition of the highly skilled work we were doing in hospice care only grew thanks to Dr Sheila Cassidy – and others like her – who had the insight and tenacity to make changes that were needed so that talking about death and dying became a bit less taboo and patients received more personalised care, maintaining their dignity.”

With a pressing need for larger premises, we embarked on a high-profile fundraising campaign for what became our purpose-built inpatient unit at Turnchapel, which opened in 1988. The 20-bed facility with beautiful views was built on land given to us by Plymouth City Council.

Dr Mary said: “When the move to Turnchapel came, it was a joy. Double the number of beds, plenty of bathrooms and wonderful new gadgets. We created the very best hospice environment we could, enabling people with terminal illness to be themselves and be looked after as themselves.

“There was great excitement when Prince Charles performed the official opening, in 1988, with crowds lining the driveway all waving their flags. He was well informed about the hospice movement and generous in his attitude, spending time talking to patients, volunteers and staff

Dr Mary, who became Medical Director of St Luke’s in 1993, has fond memories of the many patients she met as well as the family atmosphere Turnchapel provides for them, thanks to the kindness of staff and volunteers.

She said: “I remember patients’ weddings, which though they had to be arranged quickly by our team, were so beautiful and poignant. I also recall a lady who recognised me from the hospital and greeted me like a long-lost friend. She was determined to have at least three weeks of being looked after by me, and she did. I can still see her smiling face.”

During her time with the hospice Dr Mary witnessed – and was part of – a big expansion in the provision of palliative care, which included closer working between St Luke’s and the Primary Care Trusts to pioneer an integrated palliative care service. Whereas previously, Derriford Hospital had been separate to the hospice, in 2005 the new St Luke’s Hospital Service was established, with Dr Mary appointed its lead. In her dual roles of Palliative Care Consultant at Derriford and Medical Director at St Luke’s she was the link between the two organisations.

Dr Mary said: “I was made very welcome by the consultants. No barriers were put up and the integrated service at the hospital got into gear. This meant a joined-up service for patients, with hospice staff providing education and leadership for many hospital doctors and nurses.

“St Luke’s is a leader in palliative care, and the triple service it provides at home, in hospital and at the specialist unit has been replicated by many other hospices because they, too, have recognised how much patients benefit when they experience a seamless service. The needs of patients must always be at the centre of that service, and St Luke’s has never forgotten this.”

7th February 2022
https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/MARY-BLOG-e1644249059240.jpg 764 1030 Gabby Nott https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/stlukeslogo.gif Gabby Nott2022-02-07 16:14:382022-02-07 16:14:38BLOG: Dr Mary Nugent remembers
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BLOG: Big-hearted Citybus Plymouth backs local hospice care

St Luke's nurses with CityBus Plymouth managing director

Big-hearted Citybus Plymouth backs local hospice care

Community-spirited Citybus Plymouth is helping St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth keep the wheels of our vital service turning by showing support in our 40th anniversary year.

With yesterday, 25 January, marking the day that 40 years ago we welcomed our first patients, Plymouth Citybus unveiled the bus it has decked out in St Luke’s branding to highlight our charity reaching such a special milestone.

Featuring some of the friendly faces of St Luke’s team, and the message of the hospice providing compassionate care for the community for 40 years, the bus will cover routes across the city throughout the year.

From humble beginnings at Syrena House in Plymstock to the multidisciplinary service we provide today, looking after terminally ill people at home, in hospital and at Turnchapel, St Luke’s cares for up to 300 patients at any given time and supports their families, too. We can do this at no cost to those we help, thanks to local individuals and organisations who fundraise, donate and volunteer to help keep our service going.

Support from local businesses is critical to ensuring St Luke’s resilience so we can reach more people who desperately need specialist care at the end of their lives.

Richard Stevens, Managing Director of Plymouth Citybus said: “Many of our team members and customers have been touched by St Luke’s in one way or another. Branding the bus for the charity is our way of saying thank you for superb care given and helping to make sure the whole city is aware of the brilliant work St Luke’s has done over the past 40 years.”

Steve Statham, Chief Executive of St Luke’s, said: “A big thank-you to Plymouth Citybus. Our eye-catching branded bus will raise more awareness of St Luke’s specialist service and the support from our community that makes it possible. The more local businesses who get behind our charity, the more families we can help over the next 40 years and beyond.”

 

26th January 2022
https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/BUS-BLOG.jpg 773 1030 Gabby Nott https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/stlukeslogo.gif Gabby Nott2022-01-26 16:37:502022-01-27 09:14:33BLOG: Big-hearted Citybus Plymouth backs local hospice care
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