IT BEGAN simply with a letter that posed the question: could Darlington have its own hospice?
Inspired by what was happening elsewhere in the country following the work of Dame Cicely Saunders, credited as the pioneer of the modern day hospice movement, Yvonne Rowe put pen to paper because her friend Mary Hester was seriously ill. Her letter, published in the Evening Despatch newspaper in November 1985, started the ball rolling in Darlington, although Yvonne admitted, modestly, that while she and a group of friends thought it was a good idea, they did not have the know-how to make it happen.
Others did, and motivated by Yvonne’s charming letter, a public meeting was held in the Dolphin Centre 30 years ago today that led to the formation of a steering group to drive the concept forward.
Retired GP and current chairman of the Darlington and District Hospice Movement Dr Harry Byrne recalls how things were for the terminally ill before the project got off the ground.
“There was very little support for end of life patients. Palliative care wasn’t even a specialism at that time and there were no specialist nurses or consultants. Patients generally ended up in hospital with very little in the way of expertise or care. The hospice completely changed all that.”
Yvonne’s prompt came at something of a boom time for the movement with many hospice charities starting up, though Dr Byrne says the Darlington campaign should not be underestimated.
“Yvonne’s letter was inspirational, but in a lot of other towns the size of Darlington it would have fallen on deaf ears. The fact that it led to what we have today is testament to the can-do spirit here.
“There wasn’t a lot of cooperation between GPs then and, in spite of the fact that we all knew it could be better, it took a letter from a member of the public to promote a public response.”
Motor dealer Alasdair MacConachie, a former trustee, board member, chairman and now president of the hospice, was a leading light from the start, as were GPs Dr Martin Rhodes, Dr Roger James, Dr Richard Harker and Dr Trevor Birnie, who went on to become the area’s first consultant in palliative care employed by the hospice.
The temptation to rush headlong into opening a building for in-patients, however, was tempered by former chairman Dr James. He felt the concept should start gradually by providing a sitting service for patients in their own home. It gave carers respite knowing their loved ones were in safe hands, thereby meeting Yvonne’s aspirations for care and comfort for patients and their families.
Hospice at Home, as it became known, was established as a cornerstone service and, from the outset, laid a firm foundation for the organisation in the local community, an ethos that has been critical to its continued success.
Chief executive Jane Bradshaw explains: “From day one when it was started by people in the town, the community of Darlington has been behind the hospice. Without that support it could not have continued and it’s because of that support that we have been able to develop our services to meet local need.”
As hospice staff and volunteers established the service, meeting more and more patients, it became clear there was demand for day care services provided at a location they could visit, to enjoy a change of scenery and the company of others. Although fundraising was on-going, the significant funds needed for a building was helped when the Carmelite convent sold some land and donated the proceeds towards a permanent hospice base. As a tribute the house was named after their patron saint and St Teresa's Hospice day centre was born at Harewood House, off Grange Road.
“It's not unusual for hospices to be named after saints, but we do need to make it clear that we are non-denominational and provide free care for everyone regardless of background,” explains Jane.
With the continued need for respite care, the hospice planned from an early stage to work towards providing an in-patient service. Harewood House, however, was impractical for this so, in 1998, the hospice moved to its current base in Woodland Road, an ideal location with its proximity to the hospital, town centre and major bus routes, yet private and an oasis of green.
Many people have benefited from the six-bed unit The Woodlands provides, although it has limitations. Maintaining the correct temperature is challenging in an old property and access to rooms can be difficult as the stretcher lift can only reach three bedrooms.
With demand for in-patient care increasing, and the hospice’s inherent pioneering spirit, work towards funding a new, purpose-built unit began in 2015. The single storey, ten-bed suite costing £1.2m is due to be handed over this spring.
Designed entirely with its function in mind by Darlington-based Niven Architects, it has been a complex project due to the available space, the functionality and the sensitivities of creating a homely, healthcare environment, says Niven director Simon Crowe.
In-patients will be able to enjoy en-suite rooms that open out to the garden with medical equipment, including a piped oxygen supply, cleverly hidden away. Built-in hoists which neatly fold out of site, will allow patients with mobility issues the chance to transfer easily from bed to bathroom, while modern features include energy-efficient under-floor heating, modern ventilation and controllable mood lighting. Families will have a new visitors’ room to take time out, or even stay overnight.
The existing six-bed unit in the old Woodlands building will remain a day centre for a host of activities from specialists clinics to the hospice’s bespoke Choices rehabilitation programme for day patients.
The Hospice’s 30th year promises to be a busy one in many ways. Its satellite services in North Yorkshire, where there is no permanent Hospice, will continue and, from April 16, the Hospice will officially take over the contract for delivering rapid response services for palliative and end of life patients in the Darlington area on behalf of the NHS, having won a competitive tender. The aim is to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions by a nurse arriving at a patient's home within an hour of contact being made, whether it’s to manage pain, help alleviate a deteriorating condition, to provide practical assistance or to support family.
Of course, none of it would be possible without raising the £2.2m annual running costs of the hospice and its services. Donations and fundraising account for 70 per cent of the total, with the remaining 30 per cent coming from contract work, which itself demands the delivery of sustainable, reliable and high quality services.
Although the fundraising is a challenge, it’s a price worth paying for a proud charity.
Jane explains: “If we weren’t a charity, we would not be the organisation we are, providing hospice services that are embedded in the community. We see, and we’re able to meet, need.
“Charities exist to pioneer and we are a perfect example of that. Some of the things charities innovate are taken forward by the state and that’s why we are always looking at what we should be doing next. We constantly strive to meet the needs of patients and families at some of their most distressing times.
“Being independent allows us to be flexible. Our family support services are a good example. We established strong, one-to-one bereavement care, then added specialist support to help children who are living with or have lost someone to long-term illness.
“Being a charity also gives people the opportunity to help in their own community. As well as 80 staff of our own, we are blessed with having 400 outstanding people who are empowered to help, whether that’s fundraising, working in our shops, helping in the in patient of day hospice, or driving people to the hospice or hospital appointments. It is because we are an active community charity, with amazing support from the people of Darlington and district, that we can provide this massive added value in society.”
It’s work that’s only set to increase as people live longer and live better with long-term conditions. The hospice has also responded to the predicted increase in dementia by training all staff to recognise and know how to respond to the condition.
Jane says: “There is an increasing emphasis on providing care closer to home and at home and we anticipate that growing. In a way we’re coming full circle. We started with Hospice at Home and we're still investing significantly in community care, with one of our newest projects being a volunteer visitor scheme.
“Our motto is Giving to Life. We’re very much about providing care that helps people to live with whatever illness they have, to give them back some control and help them make the end of life choices that are right for them and their families.”
It sounds exactly as Yvonne and everyone who attended that first public meeting hoped for.