This year, hospices are opening their doors to local MPs as part of
Hospice Care Week to share what it’s like to work at a hospice. MPs across the UK are partnering with their local hospice to shadow a variety of roles including nurses, shop volunteers, gardeners or members of the catering team.
Lindsey Lodge Hospice and Healthcare were honoured to receive a visit from their local MP Holly Mumby-Croft last week as an extension of our Hospice Care Week promotion.
Holly was invited by Hospice UK to spend the morning shadowing the staff in our Wellbeing Unit to get a hands on perspective of the work we do every day at Lindsey Lodge.
Organised by Hospice UK, Hospice Care Week officially runs from 9-15 October, with MPs across the country visiting their local hospice both in the run up to the week and after. This year Hospice Care Week’s ‘We Are Hospice Care’ theme sheds light on the people who make up a hospice, celebrating the breadth, diversity and excellence of the hospice workforce. From clinical staff to bereavement counsellors, kitchen staff to volunteer gardeners, the people who make up a hospice are what makes hospice care so special.
Over 40,000 people work in charitable hospices across the UK. Hospices support more than 300,000 people every year and work across the system to reduce pressure on the NHS and train and support heath and care workers. But right now is a challenging time for hospices, and the need for hospice care is growing. The cost of living crisis has seen their costs soar, making fundraising for the majority of their income increasingly challenging. At the same time, recruiting, retaining, and paying their dedicated staff a fair wage has never been tougher.
By engaging with their local hospice, MPs can support brilliant hospice staff and make sure they’re not forgotten by national and local decision makers.
Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK says:
“It is the wonderful people that work and volunteer in hospices that make hospice care so special, and they often find it to be the most rewarding and satisfying job of their career. We are delighted that many MPs are joining their local hospice team for a day, experiencing first-hand what it is like to work or volunteer in such a vital service. It’s a great opportunity for MPs to hear directly from people who use hospice services, or work and volunteer there, on what they can do to support the sector, and to ensure their constituents can continue to access the best possible care at the end of their lives.”
Holly was pleased to get stuck into life at Lindsey Lodge, chatting to our patients, joining in with the activities and sitting in on one of our popular Reiki Sessions.
Holly Mumby-Croft MP said,
“I was really pleased to be able to visit Lindsey Lodge last week. I’d like to thank all the team and the patients that were there for giving me such a warm welcome. This was my second visit to Lindsey Lodge, and it was great to see again all the effort the team put in to ensure that the patients there receive the best possible care.”
“I was particularly impressed by the craft activities and the reiki and saw first-hand the impact it has on the wellbeing of the patients. I also had the chance to speak to lay minister, Sean, about the support he gives to patients. The dedication on show from all was truly inspiring.”
“They really do a wonderful job. It’s clear that everyone involved at Lindsey Lodge goes the extra mile every day and I know that the work they do and the contribution they make is valued so much by our local community in Scunthorpe.”
Karen Griffiths, Chief Executive was pleased to welcome Holly Mumby-Croft to the hospice as part of our mission to raise awareness of all elements of hospice care.
Karen said,
“Many people associate hospice care with end-of-life care. While that is, and always will be a major part of what we do here, we also provide a range of other services for those patients diagnosed with long term conditions. Our Wellbeing Centre supports patients to manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life in order that can avoid hospital admission and be supported within the community. It was great to be able to offer Holly the opportunity to experience this service first hand, to enable her to gain a greater understanding of our value to the North Lincolnshire community.”