This blog comes from Trinity's Medical Director, Dr Sam Lund

“Back in March, with shops closed and fundraising activities cancelled, we launched an urgent fundraising appeal. Let me take a moment to tell you how, thanks to your support, our patients have continued to receive the best quality, personalised care and we have supported the NHS’s response to the pandemic by opening up beds to COVID-19 patients, adding capacity and sharing expertise.

Hospice care is about how care is delivered, not where. We’ve been working hard to ensure that wherever our patients are, we can help them to live life as fully as possible. We are giving the same quality care, support and advice, but we’re doing it differently. From remote consultations and phone counselling sessions to home visits and therapeutic exercise groups streamed online, our community nurses, doctors, therapists, carers and counsellors are there for our patients living at home.

“Although 91, I was in pretty good shape until I had the misfortune to break my coccyx and go down with the virus. The very kind nurse Kate arranged for me to go to Trinity the next day. I can’t tell you what a relief it was. I was given medical checks and advice, physiotherapy and above all the positive attitude, kindness, friendliness and totally genuine TLC that I needed very badly and was smothered with.“ Betty

In the inpatient unit, we have been looking after patients in need of specialist palliative care as well as those requiring end of life care related to COVID-19. It was fantastic to be able to relax our visiting restrictions recently so patients can now receive some visitors during their stay. Our safety standards remain as high as ever and we are providing PPE (and guidance on how to use it) for all of our visitors to the wards and of course all of our staff.

Wearing PPE to care for patients at the hospice and in the community isn’t easy but it’s amazing to see how quickly the team has adapted to this new and testing work environment. We are running education sessions for staff to share tips of how they are still staying connected and providing comfort to patients through gloves or helping patients see a smile, even behind a mask.

 “Thank you for sending the yoga video. I have just finished the exercises. I found it very beneficial moving my arms, legs, head and breathing constructively. I had been getting very stiff, bored and depressed, sitting at home in my armchair.” 

Out of these challenges, we have been learning. We have found ways to be more efficient and more effective. What we have learnt will improve our ability to deliver great care and reach more people who need us in the future. We are talking to patients about the impact of these changes and are asking to hear about their experiences of our care since the beginning of the pandemic.

This is just a small snapshot of Trinity in recent weeks. None of this care could happen without the army of reception, catering, housekeeping and support staff, porters, fundraisers and chefs who keep Trinity going day in day out. We talk about the team at Trinity as a “family” but it has never felt more appropriate. It’s thanks to you coming together with us as part of the Trinity family that we can continue to be here to help our patients really live every moment, thank you.”

Thanks to a community that has rallied together to support us, we have continued to provide our outstanding palliative and end of life care in the face of this pandemic. With your donations, some short-term government support and some essential cost-cutting measures, we have made it through so far. But our challenge now is to secure Trinity’s long-term future.

When we celebrate our 130th anniversary next year, we want to have ensured we’ll be here for the families that will need us for 130 years to come. You can help us be here for years to come by setting up a monthly or quarterly gift or making a donation to our urgent appeal below.

Donate to our appeal to secure the future of Trinity

Set up a regular gift to Trinity