Page 2 - 35yrs anniversary newspaper_Flipbook 2020
P. 2
Caring, Compassionate, Committed
Fiona’s break Kindness from behind a mask
from retirement
Taylor Wimpey donated face masks
One of our trustees felt com-
pelled to act and help in any
way she could when the pan-
demic hit. A retired nurse with a
long career specialising in crit-
ical care, hospice care and pain
management, Fiona Duncan For advice, useful contacts, self-
didn’t hesitate to put her scrubs help downloads and videos,
back on and join the hard-work- visit www.stcatherines.co.uk.
ing inpatient unit (IPU) team as Our website contains a library
a volunteer. of resources for everyone,
“I really felt for the pa- covering a range of topics to
tients, families and the medical help your physical and mental
and support teams,” she says.
“Whilst volunteering on the wellbeing, including materials
wards, I was overwhelmed by from other trusted sources.
the kindness and professional- Subjects include ‘Managing
ism of the staff. breathlessness at home during
“As well as juggling the the COVID-19 outbreak’,
restrictions and the ever-chang- A small gesture can really make tancing measures in place, whilst ‘Useful list of local contacts
ing guidance, the team contin- a meaningful difference. From or- keeping our patients at the heart during self-isolation’, and
ued to show such compassion dering takeaways and having film of everything we do.
and consideration to patients nights with the family, to being When we realised that ‘Guidance for carers during the
and their fellow colleagues. helped into a wheelchair and tak- visiting our inpatient unit would Coronavirus pandemic’.
“Working on the in-pa- en for a walk around the beautiful have to be drastically restricted, we
tient unit with the summer heat hospice grounds - here at St Cathe- needed to do more to help those their spirits and keep people con-
and the additional PPE made rine’s we know how important the we care for to stay connected with nected under the difficult circum-
for uncomfortable and difficult small details matter to our patients their loved ones. stances.”
working conditions for every- and those close to them, just as Sister Elizabeth Millet Our IT team provided
one. The care team were work- much as the clinical care and pain explains: “It was a very painful additional electronic tablets and
ing extra-long hours, but you management we specialise in. time for everyone; we all need our phones for the inpatient unit.
could still see the smiles in their When the national lock- family and friends around us in Our nurses and care team helped
eyes and the kindness from be- down hit earlier this year, like times of need. As a palliative care patients who were unfamiliar with
hind their masks. They really do everyone else we were suddenly nurse, the human touch is as much the technology to make video
an incredible and inspiring job faced with new ways of working. part of my role as the medical calls, and our staff made daily
every day and it was a privilege We had to act fast to adhere to the side of the work. Seeing patients phone calls to patients’ families.
to be part of that.” government guidance, to source separated from their loved ones Our amazing
personal protective equipment was heart-breaking and we knew supporters and volunteers came
we needed to do something to lift
(PPE) and to put strict social dis-
Protecting our out in force too, making facemasks,
scrubs, uniform bags, and ear pro-
tectors, amongst other things.
vital services Godwin’s Fish & Chips brought in Group and the ‘Leyland Knit and
The St Catherine’s Craft
lunch for staff on Good Friday
Natter’ community group made
With many of our 900 dedicat- special pairs of knitted ‘Connected
ed volunteers having to stay at Hearts’; one for the patient and a
home during the peak of the matching one for their loved one.
pandemic, some areas of our Another of our volunteers made
vital work required cover during some special knee-rest cushions
lockdown. for laptops and jigsaws, and one
Many of our staff agreed patient used it to do some colour-
to be furloughed to help us ing to help her relax.
claim funding from the govern- We received donations of
ment, while others including PPE from local businesses, which
catering staff and our fund- was a huge relief as we counted
raising team were re-trained the costs of providing enough to
to help serve refreshments on see us through the crisis - and gen-
the inpatient unit and work on erous gifts for our frontline workers
reception. such as Easter eggs and fish and
chips! Thank you so much!
