Appeal from the director of clinical services

In our recent appeal for donations, Esther Kirby, Director of Clinical Services, talks about why it is so important to support St Ann’s Hospice and help our patients, their families, friends and carers.

‘They really get to know you, who you are and what you want. Nothing is too much trouble.’

When Rose Booth, a patient at our Little Hulton hospice, told us her dream had always been to ride a Harley Davidson, we just had to make it happen! Rose was transformed: thrilled to be astride her Harley, in her leathers.

Rose Booth astride a Harley

Rose has been a day-care patient at Little Hulton over the last few months and she’s relished it: ‘Day care has given me confidence, keeps my brain and body active and I am able to access a wide range of therapies and medical outpatient clinics whilst living at home.’

Rose has also been an inpatient for help with pain management on more than one occasion. Short-term care like this is invaluable to so many of our patients.

We achieved great things for our patients in 2008. And we’re going to achieve even more in 2009 – with your help.

How your money helps

Last year, for every £1 we spent, 93p was spent directly on patient care and the services supporting it. That’s a very strong record – one we’re always trying to improve on.

Without question our overall aim is to provide the best possible service to the people of Greater Manchester. And we are continuously developing our specialist services to benefit our patients and carers.

These are just some of the additional things we’ve been able to do with money we have recently raised:

  • Appoint three more consultants in palliative medicine increasing our extensive expertise in specialist palliative care. The consultants all combine their roles at St Ann’s with work in local hospitals and in the community;
  • Complete an excellent multi-site research work evaluating the benefi t to patients of complementary therapy to patients;
  • Develop the acclaimed ‘Life After Cancer’ course – supporting people after cancer treatment, helping them recover and move on.

And these are some of the things we are aiming to do next year, working closely with the NHS:

  • Provide specialist skilled staff who can act as rapid-response teams in the community;
  • Further develop a ‘Hospice-at-Home’ service;
  • Widen access to our outreach complementary therapy service;
  • Continue developing access to specialist palliative services for people with non-cancer diagnoses such as chronic heart failure and chronic lung disease; and neurological diseases such as Motor Neurone Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease.

I really hope that you will be able to support our work. We welcome any gift of any amount. But the best way to help us plan for the future is to give a small, regular donation. Even £3 a month will make a difference. All you have to do is make a gift online or download our regular giving direct debit form and send it in. Or call Wendy Bray on 0161 498 3631. And together we can continue to treat and care for patients and their families, helping them through very difficult times.

Thank you,

Esther Kirby
Director of Clinical Services

PS. Do read the leaflet online and discover more about what we do and how we spend your donations; and meet some of the people we help.

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