THE ongoing coronavirus pandemic has reshaped the way St Luke’s Hospice serves its patients.

St Luke’s Hospice provides compassionate care to people whose illnesses are no longer curable.

Changes made over the last 11 weeks will provide lessons for the future of specialist palliative and end of life care at the Basildon hospice.

Eileen Marshall, the chief executive of St Luke’s Hospice, said: “Within a very short period of time, at the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis, St Luke’s Hospice was severely affected.

“Day Hospice activities and face-to-face counselling were suspended, PPE requirements increased drastically, the enforcement of guidelines prevented visitation to the In-Patient Unit, our satellite offices and shops were closed and all community based fundraising events cancelled or postponed.

“At the same time, demand for our Hospice Community Services increased – with telephone calls to our 24/7 OneResponse line growing by over 10 per cent.

“Many of our staff had to be redeployed, some were furloughed, others had to adjust to working remotely and many volunteering duties were suspended. We had to overcome myriad challenges.”

Modern technology has allowed St Luke’s Hospice to introduce new communication and treatment channels.

Ms Marshall added: “It is imperative our specialist care models meet the needs of our patients. At St Luke’s Hospice we are committed to evolving our services and embracing innovation.

“New portable devices and software used to support our patients in response to the Covid-19 crisis have hastened our digital pathway and these changes are shaping the future of the hospice.

“St Luke’s is an integral part of the local healthcare system and our priorities are, and always will be, our patients, their carers and NHS and social care partners.”

Loved ones are encouraged to send letters and pictures to those in the In-Patient Unit, while nurses help facilitate virtual visits through video calling. Counselling takes place over the phone and the NHS’ digital system is used to provide clinical support for patients in their own home.

Ms Marshall admitted: “We knew very quickly our services would need to change to ensure specialist care continued for our patients.”