Background Some people requiring specialist palliative care have complex symptoms difficult to manage at home (Hospice UK, 2016). In the past, people of South Lanarkshire have always had to travel a distance to North Lanarkshire for hospice in-patient care. National records (National Records for Scotland, 2018) predict an increasingly ageing population for South Lanarkshire with 37.3% of the population living as a single household impacting a person’s ability to remain at home to die. Hospice directors viewed this as an inequality in provision and the impetus began to fundraise for a new local hospice in-patient facility.

Aims This service development defines the incorporation of existing community hospice services to plan and open an in-patient unit for the population of South Lanarkshire.

Challenges/Collaboration/Community

• Challenge to set up a robust governance structure to safely recruit a team to set up and open the in-patient unit.

• Development of a full suite of policies.

• First unannounced inspection by Healthcare Improvement Scotland scoring 3 ‘Goods’.

• March 2020, Kilbryde Hospice provided support to NHS Lanarkshire during COVID-19. The hospice, converted to a COVID-19 unit, increasing from 12 to 21 beds.

• Lockdown terminated our entire planned fundraising calendar.

• Clinical services continued, some remotely, therefore the hospice was completely dependent on the community of South Lanarkshire to fundraise on our behalf, which they did.

Results The hospice continues to deliver community and in-patient specialist palliative care services with up to 93% in-patient occupancy rate. Care provision is spread across all three localities improving equality and ensuring a higher rate of preferred place of death for those who choose in-patient hospice care.

Conclusion Kilbryde Hospice has listened to the community of South Lanarkshire, to provide specialist palliative in-patient care services. Furthermore, the community has supported the hospice both financially and sympathetically, whilst Kilbryde works collaboratively with key stakeholders in South Lanarkshire to develop a collaborative partnership.