HOSPICE CHIEF E X ECUTIVE P RAISES STAFF FO R THEI R DEDICATION TO PATIENT CA R E DU R ING COVID-19
HOSPICE CHIEF EXECUTIVE PRAISES STAFF FOR THEIR DEDICATION TO PATIENT CARE DURING COVID-19 ellenor’s Chief Executive praises numbers due to Coronavirus. staff for their dedication to patients living with life-limiting or terminal “As a nurse with over 36 years’ illness in Kent. experience of caring for patients and their families myself, I know ellenor provides specialised hospice how lucky I am to lead a large team care for patients of all ages at its of passionate, dedicated healthcare hospice in Gravesend, through its professionals, support staff and community palliative care teams and volunteers, all of whom share one within the home. As an independent goal. This is to give every child or local charity, ellenor is reliant on adult patient and their families the community support to deliver its expert care and support we would work, having to reach an annual want for our own loved ones, and, target of £7 million every year to when the time comes, an end-of-life provide care. Only a quarter of our journey that is peaceful, comfortable funding is from the NHS. and dignified. I would stress that the Vikki Harding, ellenor’s Chief Executive said, “We have never experienced anything like the Coronavirus. We have accelerated our work to help people stay safe, informed and connected. We are of course urging everyone – staff, patients and their families – to do all that is needed to look after themselves and their loved ones and to follow all the government instructions regarding protection. “In these unprecedented moment times, we are making significant changes to our care services, to cope with a significant rise in patient
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Coronavirus crisis in no way changes that goal, even though we know we will be asked to care for many more vulnerable people over the next few months. Our responsibility is to re-think and adapt the way we care for and support local people in our community, so we can still be there to provide the expert care they need. “Our patients, old and young, are the very people who are most vulnerable to this virus – and our nursing and clinical teams are at the front line of their care. The action
