Take a Moment to talk about end of life and palliative care at NCH&C
A move to improve our outstanding care
As part of Dying Matters Awareness Week this year, people are being encouraged to talk about death, dying and grief.
The NCH&C team at Priscilla Bacon Lodge has been providing specialist palliative and end-of-life care for patients in Norfolk at Priscilla Bacon Lodge (PBL) for 40 years. They are dedicated to providing holistic end of life services and to ensuring their patients achieve a good death.
The population of Norfolk has grown by over 220,000 since 1979. People are living longer and increasing numbers of patients are presenting multiple complex care conditions. Palliative care has progressed tremendously during this time too.
£12.5 million has been raised by the Priscilla Bacon Hospice charity to build a new hospice on the site at NNUH. As well as having inpatient beds, the new Priscilla Bacon Lodge will offer vastly improved daycare facilities, with a wellness centre, gym, and a greater number of counselling and therapy rooms.
NCH&C staff from Priscilla Bacon Lodge will move into the building in the summer and continue to provide expert palliative and end-of-life care at the new hospice.
Charlotte Shawe is Quality Matron at Priscilla Bacon Lodge. She talked to us on our podcast about the incredible work the staff and volunteers do at PBL, and their plans for a big move to the new facility. You can listen to this podcast here.
Dying Matters Awareness Week: 8-12 May 2023
Dying Matters Awareness Week is a campaign run by the charity, Hospice UK. It works with organisations, decision-makers and the general public to make things better for people who are dying or grieving.
NCH&C is encouraging its staff to talk to those around them to help make sure that our workplaces can better support people who are ill, who are caring for those around them, or who have lost someone close to them.
In a recent episode of our podcast, Take a Moment with NCH&C, host Miranda Gretton opened up about her personal grief journey following the death of her brother four years ago. Psychological and Bereavement Lead at NCH&C Tracey Dryhurst joins Miranda to discuss the complexities of grief and the support available. Click here to have a listen.
For further help and information:
- The Good Grief Trust – https://www.thegoodgrieftrust.org/
- NHS support
- Norfolk County Council Bereavement Support page
- Bereavement support line – 0300 303 4434. Free to access from 8am to 8pm seven days a week. A confidential staff support line is operated by Hospice UK. A team of fully qualified and trained bereavement specialists are available to support you with bereavement and wellbeing issues relating to loss experienced through your work.