MARCH 2021 SHIPSTON We HOME NURSING SERVING SHIPSTON-ON-STOUR, WELLESBOURNE,Care KINETON AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS HOME N N U TO R S S I P N “ I G H S H E Bringing dignity, support O S M and loving end of life care P O IC H “ E CARE AT to our community. FREE HOME NURSING FOR PEOPLE WITH A LIFE-LIMITING OR TERMINAL ILLNESS AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR THEIR FAMILIES AND CARERS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT Andrew Revell Welcome to our 2021 newsletter. to the quality of our staff ably income from which contributed guided by Gemma Roberts our £29,387 to overall income. Head of Nursing. The optimisation of our During the 2020 calendar year we Fundraising Department was cared for a total of 162 patients, completed in January 2021, the we fully expected an influx of reduction in fixed costs will start patients, largely from Hospital to be evident in our 2020-21 discharges, but this did not really Report and Accounts, with annual happen. What we saw instead, benefits being seen thereafter. was an increase in the numbers of patients who were now Our operational continuity plans understandably reluctant to enter have survived and continue to Hospitals, Hospices and Care survive the COVID test with all Homes and very much chose to non-clinical staff returning to spend their final days at home. home working since lockdown number two. Although this Obviously, all community works effectively by leveraging fundraising events were initially technology, we are mindful of cancelled or deferred including the wellbeing of all staff during our Circus Ball for which a this difficult period and have the huge amount of planning and necessary support structures in organising had been done by the place to identify and manage this. Ball Committee and which was to be the highlight of our fundraising Moving forward we continue to Early 2020 brought the news the evolving advice from Public calendar. find ways of delivering our vision that Asia was experiencing the Health England and tried to of “ensuring that every adult in early stages of the COVID -19 glean as much information and Despite the loss of income our community has access to free pandemic. It was all too easy to guidance from the many Zoom suffered through not being high quality end of life care at think China is a long way away, and Teams meetings we were now able to stage events we have home” while ensuring that has the we have heard it all before being requested to attend daily. been humbled by the incredible financial sustainability to deliver with SARS, which did not really generosity of our donors, and this and more. affect us here in the UK, so we The fundamentals of everything supporters during the year. With will be fine. we did was to maximise the very few opportunities to stage I firmly believe that the true protection of our staff and socially distanced fundraising measure of an organisation is How wrong was I! patients. We invested in and events our income has been the way in which its people react started using the best quality relatively stable through a during a crisis and my thanks go By early March we were fully Person Protective Equipment combination of increases in to all staff and Trustees for their immersed in developing new (PPE) we could source with the regular monthly giving, one off unfailing and ongoing support protocols, procedures for safe view that being overcautious was donations, legacies, and support during this period. working and increasing our the only approach to take to keep from existing and new Trust funds. collaboration with NHS Trusts, everybody safe. We also received some grant Finally, my personal thanks go to Sister Charities, and other income from the COVID-19 fund you, our supporters, volunteers, healthcare partners. Preparing Apart from the first two weeks set up by the Government. and sponsors, for helping us for something you have never after the March lockdown where continue to navigate our way experienced, cannot physically see, we tried to restrict visiting Total income for the period ending through these ever changing which often does not manifest patients’ homes to hands-on 30 June 2020 was £372,856, times. itself with identifiable symptoms nursing and symptom control expenditure was £342,309 and can be transmitted by air, only, our nursing service has leaving a net contribution of Very best wishes fluid and touch is not easy. Best operated as normal, albeit with £24,248. Our Reserves continue practice and guidance were strict risk assessments and lots to be invested through CCLA Andrew Revell changing daily, we followed of PPE. This is truly a testament Investment Management Ltd, the Executive Director Dear Gemma My Mother sadly died last week at my home here in Ilmington. I am writing to thank you for the exemplary care given by your Nurses both to my Mother, myself and my sister in managing to make her end of life as comfortable as possible. My special thanks go to Heather who recognised and provided the extra support we needed and to Shirley who tended my Mother through her last night allowing us to get some rest. She was a wonderful gentle presence in our home at what could have been a very traumatic time. The collection at my Mother’s funeral will go to your wonderful association. March 2021 2 www.shipstonhomenursing.co.uk NURSE MANAGER’S REPORT Gemma Roberts 2020 may have brought some unprecedented challenges to our service but I am proud to say that as a team we rose to the challenges and continue to provide the same excellent care that the community have come to expect. The year has been immensely We are incredibly lucky to difficult for everyone and have the support of our local although we have had to adapt community but also of the wider our services to protect patients, healthcare network who have our community, and our staff, all joined forces to tackle this SHN continues to grow. Our pandemic. SHN work closely with patient numbers have increased SWFT, GP’s and other hospice and the care we provide services to ensure patients receive continually develops. the right care at the right time, this wider palliative care network Our already highly skilled nurses has grown from strength to constantly strive to enhance their strength throughout the pandemic skills and increase the level of to ensure patient care is in no way care provided. In fact, during this compromised. period staff have gained extra skills to equip them with this I must add that without the constantly changing environment. support of our community and The nursing team have adapted to fundraising team none of this the changes forced on our services would be possible, we could not supports SHN as together we have Gemma Roberts by the pandemic and have grown have imagined the generosity of created a service that supports Head of Nursing Services the service despite this. I am our community and supporters everyone in our community and immensely proud to be part of over the last 12 months. I would gives people choice at the end of such an amazing team. like to thank everyone who their lives. A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN Clive Irwin Many people have been or will be personally affected by the COVID virus. That is why it is very important Please be assured the team are that the service to patients who ready to respond if and when wish to be cared for at home referrals are received. has continued throughout the crisis. All folk have to be treated Other functions of the Charity equally so the Nursing team have have taken on a ‘remote’ flavour, had to assume all patients and and Fundraising events have environments are potentially quite rightly ceased for now. positive and act accordingly However, due to a combination wearing PPE and following of Government support and protocols. humbling local generosity, the current finances are I am personally proud of the stable. way the whole team have responded. We all owe them Meetings are now an enormous debt of gratitude virtual, however the for working under enormous care delivered by the pressure with such calmness and nurses and supporting professionalism. team is still very real, and will continued to be Shipston In addition Jeremy Wiggin and Most patients referred to us delivered at a personal level Home Nursing Simon Miesegaes, both long before Christmas actually did at home as long as staffing and was born. Since standing Trustees decided not to die in their own homes, avoiding rules allow us to do so. that time Charlie has stand for re-election because of the awful situation of being in a been actively involved with the other commitments, they also hospital or nursing home with no After 23 years of tireless service, charity providing clinical guidance leave with our grateful thanks for or very limited visiting. Referrals Charlie Wells our founding Trustee and mentorship to the Nursing all their efforts and support over have quietened down after New decided to retire. Following a Team together with a ‘can do’ their many years of service. Year, perhaps due to the huge personal tragedy where Charlie approach to the running of the numbers of Covid admissions lost her sister Penny, and charity. Charlie leaves with our Stay safe and try to keep up with to hospitals, and the disruption identified the need for a Hospice thanks for helping to build our the ever changing rules. to other care pathways in the at Home nursing service, she service and reputation to what it Dr Clive Irwin secondary care system.