Respite care reinstated at Isle of Man hospice after funding boost

Hospice Isle of Man is based at the Noble's Hospital site in Braddan

Respite care has been reintroduced at the Isle of Man's hospice after being cut during the coronavirus pandemic.

Charitable trust Henry Bloom Noble Healthcare has agreed to provide funding in a two-year partnership with the hospice.

The specialist care allows families of patients with life-limiting conditions to take a break.

The charity stopped offering the service during the pandemic due to a drop in funds and staff shortages.

The reduction in respite care was among the concerns raised in a Care Quality Commission (CQC) review of the facility in February.

'Improving relationships'

Under the rebooted services, there will be two fully staffed beds dedicated to clinical quality respite care available in the in-patient unit.

The rooms will include a "cuddle bed", which can widen to a double bed for use during palliative care.

A spokesman for the hospice said the ability to "be able to get into the same bed as your loved one, and have a cuddle or offer comfort at the most tender of times" was "incredibly beneficial".

He said the care would be offered to "those who need it most, making the most impact".

The aim was to improve the "wellbeing of patients with life-limiting conditions" while also "improving the relationships with their family, improving the wellbeing of their carers and providing an enhanced end of life journey, when the time comes, for those with life-limiting conditions", he said.

Hospice Isle of Man Chief Executive John Knight said the value respite care brought to both patients and their loved ones was "invaluable".

Chairman of the Henry Bloom Noble Trust Terry Groves said it was giving the financial support because the services met one of the trust's "most important criteria" by providing "almost immediate results to those who need the care".