Weldmar Hospicecare Trust Celebrates the 1st Birthday of Shaftesbury Day Hospice. 

People in North Dorset needing specialist palliative care have celebrated the first birthday of Weldmar Hospicecare Trust's day hospice service in the Westminster Memorial Hospital in Shaftesbury.

Weldmar Hospicecare Trust provides specialist palliative care and support for patients and their carers throughout North, South and West Dorset. In September 2008 Mrs Patricia Lidsey, opened the new service which saves patients the long journey to the Dorchester day service at Joseph Weld Hospice. Currently the service is open on Wednesday only, but demand is so high the Trust is seeing whether it can extend this for another day. The staff are supported by a team of volunteers who contribute their time, skills and friendship.

Patients and their friends and supporters, volunteers, trustees and senior staff of the Trust attended the celebrations on 16th September 2009 in the Melbury Wing, Westminster Memorial Hospital.

Weldmar's new Shaftesbury day hospice complements the palliative care services for patients in the area given by its team of Community Specialist Palliative Care Nurses who visit patients in their own homes. Patients have access to specialist assessment and advice while enjoying pleasant surroundings, companionship and social activities. The day out gives carers a break too.

The project in Shaftesbury has been successful due to the very close working partnership between Weldmar Hospicecare Trust and the Westminster Memorial Hospital. Matron, Carolyn Cox said "I am so pleased with our partnership that we are planning to put the project forward for the Dorset Health and Social Care Award for Joint Working. If we are nominated it will be a huge recognition of our achievements."

Claire Hart, Lead Nurse Day Care for Weldmar said "All day hospice places at Shaftesbury are now taken and with all patients attending regularly its's sometimes a bit of a tight squeeze! However we are still open for the referral of patients and we will admit them as places become available."

For more information regarding Weldmar Hospicecare Trust click on to www.weld-hospice.org.uk
Photographs of the opening ceremony and text, courtesy of Popcorn Marketing (01305 774629).

Helen Baggott
www.helenbaggott.co.uk