Northampton day hospice reopens after Covid closure

A ball game at the Cynthia Spencer Hospice, Northampton

A day hospice forced to close its doors due to Covid-19 has resumed face-to-face care.

The Cynthia Spencer Hospice in Northampton moved its day services online in March 2020.

Earlier this month it fully re-introduced its physical wellbeing services for people living in the community.

The hospice said providing online services had been "really challenging" and took "a lot of adjustment".

Geoff Foster was diagnosed with cancer during the pandemic and attends the well-being centre one day a week

Geoff Foster, 73, who is terminally ill with cancer, started using the hospice's services during lockdown.

He said the thought of physically coming into the centre had been a bit daunting.

"I wasn't really sure what to expect," Mr Foster said.

"I thought, was everyone going to be sat around saying 'I'm really ill, I'm in God's waiting room?'

"But it wasn't like that at all.

"People were laughing and they were sharing and you felt part of the support for each other.

"It's so much better talking in person as we are now, face-to-face, although the Zoom sessions were good, this is much better."

Mr Foster said he looked forward to his visits, the walks around the hospice garden and the chats with tea and cake afterwards.

"It makes a tremendous difference, when we talk to each other it helps," he said.

"It's opened up a new part of my life."

Claire McEwen said it was much easier to meet the needs of community patients face-to-face

Claire McEwen is the wellbeing team leader and an occupational therapist.

The centre aims to help people with life-limiting illnesses to live their life as fully as possible, maintain their physical function and remain independent for as long as possible.

She said trying to offer an online service during lockdown to terminally ill patients "was really challenging" for the team, and took "a lot of adjustment".

"It's a real journey that we've been on," said Ms McEwen.

"I think everyone feels much more positive and I think there's probably more job satisfaction because we feel like we're giving a much better quality of service to people."

Services at the well-being centre at the Cynthia Spencer Hospice are funded by the NHS and donations.

Last year volunteers and corporate donors raised £112,000 for the centre.