Meet the Chesterfield hospice nurses caring for patients nearing end of life over Christmas

Community Palliative Care Nurses Harriet Jones and Georgie Hutchison will be based at Ashgate Hospice providing vital care and support to patients in their own homes.

Together they will be fielding calls through Ashgate Hospice’s advice line between 9am and 5pm on Christmas Day this year.

The service offers a vital lifeline to patients who could be experiencing a crisis, providing families with support and reassurance if they need it.

Harriet, 34, from Chesterfield, joined the hospice in March 2023 after her dad, Glyn Jones, died at the hospice in September 2021, aged 64, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer four years before.

She said the care he received – both at home and at the hospice’s Inpatient Unit – was “amazing”, inspiring her to apply for a role at the hospice herself.

“My dad was looked after by the community team when he had incurable prostate cancer and eventually died in the hospice,” said Harriet, a former community nurse for Derbyshire Community Health Services.

“I had already thought of working at Ashgate and the care he received just confirmed this for me; both the community and ward care he received was just amazing.”

This Christmas, Harriet and Georgie will not only offer specialist advice and emotional support to patients at home but also help those in care homes.

Harriet added: “It’s so important we’re around to help people to be as comfortable as they can be, at a time that could be the last Christmas with many patients’ families.

“We want to reassure people that the support is still here if they need it and that they can still celebrate knowing we are just a phone call away if needed.”

Some of the patients Harriet and Georgie support could be nearing the end of their lives, often dealing with complex physical and emotional symptoms.

Georgie, who joined the hospice in 2013 after qualifying as a registered nurse, said she was “proud” to represent the hospice all year round.

The 32-year-old, from Chesterfield, said: “I’ve worked a few Christmas shifts over the years and I am always happy to be able to help others and do my fair share.

“For a lot of our patients this could be their last Christmas, so it’s important that we can help to make it as special as possible for them and their family.

“I won’t feel like I’m missing out on any part of Christmas myself because when I finish work I can go home knowing I have been there to support someone else’s family and helped make a difference.

This year, Ashgate must raise another £11 million to provide its care as the charity receives just a third of its funding from the government.

A donation of £25 could help fund the specialist care and support provided by nurses like Harriet and Georgie, ensuring patients at home this Christmas receive the advice, comfort, and practical help they need.

Anyone who would like to support Ashgate Hospice’s Christmas Appeal can find out more here or by calling the charity’s fundraising team on 01246 567250.