Hospice News

Patient Care Stories

Thanks to a year-long project, funded by a grant from The Linder Foundation via Hospice UK, we've been working with staff at Leyhill, Ashfield and Horfield prisons to give them specialist training on palliative care.

Our Head of Clinical Engagement led the project working with colleagues from Learning and Development, Psychological Therapy and our Multi-Faith Lead. Nineteen prison staff from a variety of occupations came to the sessions including Nurses, Healthcare Assistants, Chaplain, Prison Officers, Family Liaison Officers, Probation Officer, Pharmacist, and the Manager of a Healthcare Prison Team. 

We ran four education sessions covering palliative end of life care, the last days of life, what a good death looks like in prison, advance care planning and communication. The theme of how to humanise care was embedded throughout. 

We also ran a two-day bereavement training course, where we helped prison staff know how to give informed, compassionate bereavement support. 

The courses were really valued by those who attended. One participant said, "The main thing I'll do differently as a result of this training is to validate feelings and give time, patience even if just to listen". Another said: "I now know how to manage end of life care and give the best support to the dying person". 

This has been an innovative project which we hope will help prisons and hospices continue to work together. We presented the work at the Southwest Palliative and End of Life Care forum which over 50 staff attended, and the team have applied to present it at the 2024 Hospice UK national conference. Hospice staff and prison managers are meeting soon to discuss future opportunities and the lasting impact of the project.

Community Engagement