Background Guided visualisation (GV – meditation) has documented benefits for alleviation of stress and anxiety, in the context of palliative care (Coelho, Parola, Sandgren et al. J Hosp Palliat Nurs. 2018;20(4):392–399) and in the workplace (Carroll. J Interprofessional Educ Pract. 2022; 28: 100518). The outcome of preliminary satisfaction surveys and informal feedback formed the basis for the implementation of a hospice-wide complementary therapy service, featuring GV and made available to patients, their families and hospice staff.

Aims To implement and measure the uptake of a person-centred GV programme across the hospice using a mixed-format method and to evaluate its impact on physical and psychological symptom management (Goyal, Singh, Sibinga, et al. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. 2014. Report No.: 13(14)-EHC116-EF) in patients and improvements to staff wellbeing.

Methods April 2019 – design and delivery of GV as part of a 12-week programme for patients attending the Living Well centres. Sessions for staff provided by appointment. April 2020 – introduction of GV sessions to phone and virtual platform, continuing to support patients and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. April 2021 onwards – adoption of a mixed-format method for GV delivery, driven by the service user. For all programmes, service evaluation included collection of data on attendance, outcomes from post-session surveys, formal and informal feedback.

Conclusion Social-distancing measures prompted transfer of GV delivery to a virtual platform which continued to be accessed by all service users. For both patients, their families and staff offering GV via face-to-face, phone and virtual sessions provided choice, enabled vital social connections to be sustained, created a safe space for service users to manage psychology and physical stress and promoted staff wellbeing.