An update on the services provided to our patients and their families

We want you to know that our aim during the Coronavirus pandemic is to maintain our services as far as possible to support our patients and families and the people caring for them.

We are changing our ways of working in some services to protect our vulnerable patients and to maintain a healthy workforce to provide the services.

The Hospice is a precious resource for people needing palliative care and this group of patients will remain our priority.

This remains our Single Point of Access for all hospice services, including advice and support, and they will direct you accordingly. Please phone 01432 852080.

This remains open. Our usual referral and admission criteria remains the same i.e. professionals to contact the Coordination Hub on 01432 852080.

We are maintaining service as normal, ensuring that patients, families and staff members are kept safe whilst adhering to the national guidance.

Due to the vulnerability of multiple patients attending a group session, small groups of patients have been invited back to our Day Services sessions. Our Day Hospice Sister is keeping in contact with patients to triage any need and arrange for the appropriate professional to contact them for support or access to other services. Call Julia Flather on 852 619 for more details.

Day Hospice staff are also supporting carers and patients with small group sessions or telephone support if required. For those that can’t use Zoom, the team can arrange one to one meetings at the St Michael’s Summerhouse while following social distancing guidelines.

For more information, please contact Debbie Emmett or Helen Wiltshire on 01432 852625.

Patients are being offered a telephone consultation if they prefer but selected face-to-face consultations remain an option for people without Coronavirus symptoms where necessary and dependent on capacity.

This service is unchanged and contact is via the Coordination Hub on 01432 852080. 

During this difficult time, we aim to maintain support for patients and their families. We currently provide the following services (these may be updated in line with government guidance):

  • The Counselling Team and Listening Volunteers are providing support by telephone and video call and are continuing to take referrals. St Michael’s hosts a closed Facebook group for supportive conversations between families, patients and people connected to St Michael’s. Search ‘St Michaels Hospice Community Forum’ on Facebook to request to join. For more information on Bereavement support please contact Tracy or Sarah on 01432 852627. For more information on Counselling, including support if you have suffered a loss related to Covid, please contact Karen on 01432 852649.
  • The Social Work Team continues to provide people with both emotional and practical support through the use of telephone, email, text and video links. We will continue to link with voluntary and statutory agencies to access the support you need. Please contact Elaine and Heather on 01432 852628/852636 and Shirley (Hospice Community Social Worker) on 01432 852650.
  • The Complementary Therapy Team are able to give hands-on therapy treatments to patients on the ward as well as outpatients and their families and carers. For those outpatients who cannot come into the hospice we are able to offer telephone guided relaxation and support. We also run short group guided relaxations in the different Day Service support groups and we continue to offer our weekly zoom Tai Chi class for staff, volunteers and patients.  The Team has also put together a selection of videos that people may find useful including gentle movement, reflexology and relaxation videos which can be found on the hospice web page. Click here to watch. If patients and family members are interested in the weekly zoom Tai Chi class or would like any other support or help with relaxation and grounding, please leave Hayley or Beatrix a message on 01432 852 648 and they will get back to you.
  • The Spiritual Care Team is continuing to provide spiritual, emotional and listening support for patients and their loved ones. We are supporting people in person on the In-Patient Unit, in Day Services, and in the community. Jill and Fiona also offer support to staff and volunteers, along with our counselling and complementary therapy colleagues. Contact us on 01432 852606.
  • The Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Team continue to work clinically with inpatients at St Michael’s Hospice. Offering hands-on rehabilitation, symptom management and discharge planning for those patients who are keen to return home. We are offering Outpatient Physiotherapy in our gym and also continuing to provide support and advice to current patients via telephone. The Fatigue and Breathlessness (FAB) Groups will resume in person, although we have changed this to a telephone or virtual offering – we are happy to receive referrals via our hub  (Tel 01432 852 080). We continue to work closely with the Community and Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Teams.
  • The Mindfulness Service offers one to one sessions to Inpatients, staff and family members. We are accepting outpatient referrals either via Zoom or telephone calls, or in person if necessary. We will be running a Mindfulness for Health Course ( https://www.st-michaels-hospice.org.uk/care_event/mindfulness-for-health-course ), and there are regular Zoom Mindfulness Drop Ins. For more information about how the Mindfulness services may be of help to you, please contact Gail Calthrop RN and Breathworks Mindfulness Practitioner on Tel. 01432 852647 or email mindfulness@smhospicehereford.org