St Oswald's Hospice Research

As we prepare to welcome 2025, we’re reflecting on an incredible 2024 filled with achievements and exciting growth. Partnering with amazing individuals and organizations, we’re making a real difference- and this is just the beginning. Although not new to St Oswald's Hospice, Laura Barrett has joined us as Community Project Lead and has been making huge strides focusing on the Community and Partnership strands of the Hospice's strategy. Similarly, Davina Radford has been continuing the 'Widening Access' work, ensuring our services are as available and accessible as possible. We have also welcomed Alison Beattie to the team. Ali's fitted seamlessly into the team, and already helping us push boundaries and take our work to the next level. A special thanks to Dr Seamus O’Neill, Professor David Jones of Newcastle Health Innovation Partners (NHIP), and Dr Christine English, whose guidance as strategic advisers has been invaluable. What's Next for our Research? Bereavement Support: We’re collaborating with NHS colleagues to explore training staff for community-based bereavement support, developing research to assess its economic impact. Frailty Care: Our upcoming Frailty Event (15th January) will focus on creating a unified approach to support vulnerable populations. Transition Services: New research is shaping our services for young adults transitioning from childhood care, with exciting developments like our Young Adults Accommodation opening this spring. Research isn’t just for doctors! This year, two of our nurses joined the 'Integrated Clinical Academic Internship programme,' while Diane Nicholson's AAC research continues to gain recognition and impact. We’d love to hear your ideas for 2025! Reach out to Amanda Lee or Simon Gordon to explore how we can work together. Wishing you a happy and healthy new year! Amanda #ResearchActiveHospice #StOswaldsHospice #QualityTimeForEveryone

Do you or someone you know have a real Christmas tree this year? Use our Tree-cycle service and recycle your tree with us. For a small donation we will pick up your tree from your home. See the link below and the postcodes we cover. #StOswaldsHospice #Treecycle #QualityTimeForEveryone

If you didn't get a chance to see our Light up a Life service last week, you should take a look. Such a beautiful event remembering our loved ones. #StOswaldsHospice #QualityTimeForEveryone #OpenUpHospiceCare #LightUpALife #LUAL #Bereavement #Remembrance ❤

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟 We’re thrilled to announce our new partnership with Pitman Training Group Ltd. to offer 6 fantastic training diplomas for our volunteers in 2025! 🎓✨ The diplomas, generously donated by Pitman Training will be part of our Volunteer to Career pathway – designed to help you build skills, boost confidence, and take that important first or next step in your career. 💪 Lesley Cuthbertson from Pitman Training said: "St Oswald’s Hospice is such an important charitable organisation for the region, and it’s a privilege to support the training of its volunteers. We hope this marks the beginning of a long-term partnership." Our Volunteering Manager, Susan Freeman, added: "These diplomas will make a huge difference to participants of Volunteer to Career. We’ve seen amazing results in our clinical areas since 2023, and now, thanks to this incredible donation from Pitman Training, we can expand the pathway to other areas of the hospice!" 💡 Stay tuned – we’ll be sharing details on the diplomas and how to apply soon. In the meantime, learn more about our Volunteer to Career pathway 👉 https://lnkd.in/gC2sGBrJ Let’s make 2025 a year of growth and opportunity! 🙌 #StOswaldsHospice | #QualityTimeForEveryone | #OpenUpHospiceCare | #HospiceCare | #VolunteerToCareer | #Volunteering | #Volunteers | #MakeADifference

Have you seen our newly re-designed research webpage? If not, take a look and see all the amazing projects that we have ongoing! Our completed projects are still being added, so #watchthisspace #researchactivehospice #stoswaldshospice Our research is all being done to provide more and better palliative and end of life care, for more people of all ages, in more places. #strategy https://lnkd.in/eV6n2VAs

Grief doesn’t stay at home when we come to work and failing to support colleagues properly when they've experienced a bereavement can result in long term absence, reduced productivity and increased pressure on the rest of the team. Not everyone will want lots of time off work when someone they love dies. Some may want to return quite quickly, especially if they feel that what they do is a large part of who they are or if they feel that it's the only way to maintain some stability or sense of control through their bereavement experience. Others may need longer but might have to come back to work much sooner than they would like. Whatever their situation, everyone needs to feel that support and understanding will be offered to them during such difficult times. Many will not want to admit that they are struggling in the workplace. This could be because they don't want colleagues to think that they are incapable of doing their own job and will need to pass tasks on to them or that their line managers will step in to micromanage them. They may also be worried that asking for help will result in a conversation that they will be unable to cope with. Compassionate and flexible bereavement leave, access to support and a culture of openness can make all the difference. St Oswald's Hospice can work with you to develop and deliver tailored Grief and Loss training within your organisation and we can also offer 1 to 1 bereavement support for staff. If you would like to chat about what your organisation can do to improve your current policies and procedures, do drop me a message. Something else you might like to find out more about is Hospice UK's Compassionate Employers programme which is designed to help organisations support employees through grief and challenges around caring: https://lnkd.in/evmbbbZ8 Grief Awareness Week is a chance to rethink how we support employees who are grieving. It doesn't take much to make a positive impact and there are lots of things that can be implemented quickly and easily to improve things for everyone. #WorkplaceWellness #GriefSupport #CompassionateEmployers #GriefAwarenessWeek

We're looking for two passionate healthcare professionals to help shape the future of care at St Oswald's Hospice. Could this be you or someone you know? Share with your networks!

Great networking event this morning! Christmas is clearly on its way... 🎄 St Oswald's Hospice

In figures updated last week from the Office of Health Economics, an estimated 436,022 people in England needed palliative care in 2023. We also know that patients in research-active healthcare settings have better outcomes (Jonker L, et al, 2019). This is why we, at St Oswald's Hospice, are committed to being a #researchactivehospice. Read this report published in 2022 by Dr Felicity Dewhurst, Consultant in Palliative Medicine at St Oswald's Hospice and Dr Donna Wakefield, Consultant in Palliative Medicine at University Hospital of North Tees, et al. about how palliative care inpatients favour participating in research. https://lnkd.in/e_Msnpaf Follow us to find out more about our research.

Do you want to help shape the future of care at St Oswald’s Hospice? 🩺💙 Good news - we’re looking for two new trustees! If you have… - Senior-level experience as a nurse, allied healthcare professional, or medical practitioner in the UK (experience in areas like palliative care, bereavement support, or working with children/young adults with complex needs is a bonus!) - A passion for improving patient care …this could be the opportunity for you! 🌟 Find out more and apply 👉 https://bit.ly/3AQljiL You can also contact Christy Mallen ([email protected]) for an informal chat about the roles. Please like and share with your network 💻 #StOswaldsHospice | #QualityTimeForEveryone | #OpenUpHospiceCare | #HospiceCare | #PalliativeCare | #Trustees | #HealthcareProfessionals