MORE money and more nurses is on the wish list at Grove House which wants to expand its new Hospice at Home service. The service exists to give patients a choice about where they want to spend their final days – and for most that is at home surrounded by

MORE money and more nurses is on the wish list at Grove House which wants to expand its new Hospice at Home service.

The service exists to give patients a choice about where they want to spend their final days - and for most that is at home surrounded by family and friends

It was launched last February in parts of St Albans and since September in parts of Harpenden and works in partnership with local NHS district nurses and clinical nurse specialists.

Mark Lister, chief executive at Grove House, said: "There is a proven need for our service in this area. In the first six months of operation nurses made over 400 visits and telephone calls to patients and their families.

"We now aim to recruit new nurses to cover day-time support and then, when we have sufficient funds, to move to 24 hour, seven day a week care for all patients who need it in the whole of St Albans and Harpenden."

The hospice is looking for caring and compassionate nurses with an interest in community or palliative nursing. They will be joining an established small team based at Grove House and will need to be able to work as part of that team as well as individually out in the community in patients' homes.

Senior support nurse Alexandra Freeman said: "This is a challenging but most satisfying role. We have worked hard at developing the service and fitting it into the existing current local support network. It is exciting to be part of such a new initiative."

Support nurse Pat Cooper Barnes continued: "Part of the role is about building relationships with patients and their families and gaining their trust. It is genuinely rewarding to see the difference we can make at the end of a patient's life and to the family left behind."

The service was set up in partnership with Iain Rennie Hospice at Home which works in neighbouring Dacorum. There, they are able to provide more than 5,000 nursing hours every year and enable over 60 per cent of their patients to fulfil their wish to die at home.

For further information about the role and to receive an application form, phone Liz Muskett on 01727 731003 or email liz.muskett@grove-house.org.uk

To find out more about the services offered at Grove House and to make a donation to ensure the future of the hospice, visit www.grove-house.org.uk