Nurses celebrate first year of OOH service for end-of-life care cancer patients
Staff at Southern Area Hospice in Northern Ireland are marking the one-year anniversary of its out of hours (OOH) on-call nursing service.
Nursing staff working for the OOH on-call nursing service provide end-of-life care to patients, who have a cancer diagnosis, 365 days a year.
“Our service ensures that they have access to a highly skilled hospice nurse during the darkest and most challenging hours of their lives”
Bernie Farrell
Since its launch in July 2023, the service has enabled 47 patients to be cared for in their preferred place in their final days, according to the charity Southern Area Hospice Services.
The service employs a team of hospice nurses and has been rolled out in the BT35 postcode and greater Newry City area. It operates on an on-demand basis and this year was accessed 238 nights.
The service helps with symptom management for the patient as well as offering advice and reassurance to the patient’s family and loved ones.
The charity highlighted that its nurses were available on-call to support by telephone or could come to patients’ homes.
It noted that feedback from families has been very encouraging with 100% reporting improvements in physical symptoms, improved emotional wellbeing and ability to manage stress and anxiety.
The service is an additional resource working alongside and in partnership with the voluntary sector and Southern Health and Social Care Trust partner agencies for patients who are at the end of life.
The OOH nursing service is part-funded from the Department of Health’s Cancer Charities’ Support Fund and is administered by the Community Foundation NI.
The Southern Area Hospice’s out of hours nursing service operates from 10pm until 8am. Access to the service is via district nurses, specialist palliative care nurses or GPs.
Bernie Farrell, community services manager, said: “The OOH on-call nursing service is provided in the person’s home delivering nursing care, advice, reassurance and symptom management for patients who are in the last days of their lives.
“Families often describe feelings of vulnerability, isolation and fear during the nighttime period when there are limited services available,” she said.
“Our service ensures that they have access to a highly skilled hospice nurse during the darkest and most challenging hours of their lives,” she added.
Members of the Southern Area Hospice OOH on-call nursing service
