Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice: Clinical services set to resume

The hospice said it provided specialist care and support to children living with life-shortening and life-threatening illnesses

A children's hospice is restarting clinical services to patients after a temporary suspension in May.

Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice provides specialist care to those with life-threatening illnesses in South Yorkshire and parts of East Midlands.

The charity said its North Anston base was affected by staff shortages but a recruitment drive meant services would be able to resume from 19 December.

Bosses said they were "over the moon" in-patient respite care would restart.

David Wilkin, chair of trustees at the hospice, said: "Respite care can literally be a lifeline to families experiencing continual worry, fear and stress.

"The decision to suspend it was made with great sadness and after every effort had been made to prevent it.

"Our priorities will always be a high level of care and safe services with the right level of expertise and the correct staff framework to comply with regulations.

"We had to be pragmatic and put the safety of children and young people first."

Bosses said "a number of new nurses, support workers and team leaders" had been recruited

He said re-opening clinical care would be phased to ensure all services could be delivered safely and they hoped to resume expert end-of-life care "in the very near future".

The hospice has also been revamped with a new mood lighting system and "autism-friendly muted colour schemes" in the main lounge, sensory room, bedrooms and bathrooms.

Clinical services at the charity, which opened in 2008 and also serves youngsters in North Lincolnshire, North Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, stopped on 31 May due to the national staff crisis in the care sector.

The hospice has also been updated with "autism-friendly muted colour schemes" and new mood lighting

Emma Doughty, strategic lead for care at the charity, said they had taken on new nurses, support workers and team leaders but would continue the recruitment drive "in a bid to future-proof its care provision".

"The shortage of experts in paediatric palliative care is reflected nationally and is by no means specific to Bluebell Wood," she said.

"People working in roles such as teaching assistants and adult social care have strong transferable skills which would be so valuable to us."