Background Hospice care recruitment is challenging, leading to a struggle to provide the gold-standard end-of-life care everyone deserves (Lipscombe. Understanding the hospice clinical workforce. Hospice UK [Internet]; 2023). Recent years have seen considerable growth in the presence of physiotherapists within palliative care (Navarro-Meléndez, Gimenez, Robledo-Donascimento, et al. BMC Palliat Care. 2023;22(1):99). Physiotherapy rotations are recommended by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, with a shift towards community care encouraged (Cox. Rotations Project Report for NHS Health Education England [Internet] 2020 August). The hospice explored collaborative working with the local acute hospital to solve recruitment issues.

Aim To secure the ongoing provision of physiotherapy to hospice patients.

Method The hospice approached the hospital to gauge interest in collaborative working, identifying mutual benefits of the hospice becoming a part of the physiotherapy band 6 rotation scheme. Contracts and service level agreements were agreed. Preparatory training was provided to the physio staff. Physiotherapists worked at the hospice for 6-month rotation periods, as part of the established Wellbeing Team. Service development was reviewed, and feedback from all parties involved was obtained.

Results The collaboration ensures a stable, fully-staffed physiotherapy service, moving from a 2-year vacancy to a physiotherapist in post every 6 months for as long as the agreement continues. Physiotherapists have reported considering working within hospice care where previously they had not. The transition of skills allowed the hospice to expand treatments offered to patients within inpatients and the community. Physiotherapists benefit from an alternative working culture, reducing burnout and compassion fatigue, enhancing knowledge, and the hospital has additional staff for on-call rotas. Skills learned within hospice care are taken back into practice within the acute sector. Physiotherapists are well positioned to raise profiles of hospices within hospitals, educating fellow staff leading to improved referrals.

Conclusion Working collaboratively with local hospitals allows hospices to become a regular thought-process for acute referrers, whilst improving care for patients in hospices and hospitals. This is a highly replicable model, as every hospice has a local acute hospital.