Care continues virtually at Chesterfield hospice thanks to £80,000 grant

Care has continued virtually at Ashgate Hospicecare during the pandemic.

Patients and their families who are referred to the service would usually visit the Ashgate Hospicecare’s main site in Old Brampton, Chesterfield, on a regular basis, where they could access a range of services from specialist medical support, to complementary therapies.

But there has been restricted access to the service since the pandemic began to unfold last March, with many patients shielding due to the risk posed by Covid-19.

Thanks to a grant of £78,606 from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund in partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund, Ashgate Hospicecare has been able to roll out its innovative new virtual day hospice service for patients to attend via video calls in their own homes.

The grant, which has funded staff and equipment in order to roll out the scheme, was awarded to the north Derbyshire charity in September last year and patients accessed the virtual service shortly after.

From one-to-one support from healthcare professionals, to creative art sessions, and a weekly quiz, patients have been able to link up in virtual groups with friends from the hospice, limiting feelings of isolation and the potential impact on their mental health.

The initiative aims to give patients the opportunity to access all of Ashgate’s day hospice services including group counselling support, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, lymphoedema care, complementary therapy and more.

Hayley Wardle, director of quality and patient care, said: “Unfortunately the pandemic has meant our community patients have been unable to access our usual day hospice services as we seek to protect them from the virus.

“However, I’m glad that our wonderful clinical team have been at hand to offer vital care and support to the people who need it most during these difficult times.”