Background Often hospices cover large geographical areas, where mobility, public transport issues and costs could act as barriers to accessing hospice care. Patients and carers might also be reluctant to come to a hospice building. We wanted patients and carers to have access to our services on their door step. We sought one central place within local communities that patients and families felt safe to visit, apart from a hospice building, where they could access our care and support.

Aims

• To reach more patients and families, so that Hospice care and support was available and accessible to all

• To access facilities in our local community, working in partnership securing premises for clinics and hubs

• To explore what our patients and families wanted.

Approach

• We approached local groups, hubs and links to see if they would support us with free or low cost venues.

• We talked to local people on the street about their local hospice and what it meant to them.

• We spent time educating our partners in hospice work, our vision and moving things forward.

Outcomes Three community settings that cover our geographical areas offering clinics have been set up. Nurses can pre book appointments near where patients live. We provide regular drop ins in our town centres. We take information out to towns and villages on a regular basis ensuring visibility and accessibility.

Conclusion This approach has improved local awareness of our services, patients’ choice of attending a clinic locally. This new service has provided reach beyond the building, reaching out to the community. We have noticed this also provided a cost effective way of delivering clinical service.