Case study:

11 May 2010

Hospice at Home Integrated Care Project in St. Luke’s, Basildon

Key points

St Luke’s Hospice in Basildon is setting up a team of rapid response carers to fill the palliative care gap left when social and health care provision is not immediately available or there is insufficient capacity.

The team will only accept referrals for service users with palliative care social needs and will have access to a high level of expertise as the service will be nurse managed and responsible at all times to St Luke’s Hospice at Home service management.

The team consists of two part-time nurse co-ordinators who will manage a small core team of community carers, currently being recruited The new service should free up other healthcare professionals such as rehab teams whose prime focus is not palliative care.

One challenge will be to gain local support and not be seen as a threat to current service providers but as a further move towards seamless care at home.

The service, which is commissioned by Essex County Council and Thurrock Borough Council, is due to be launched in April 2009.