Birmingham hospice launches new service for end-of-life patients

Birmingham Hospice has announced the launch of a new service to help people across Birmingham and Solihull to access specialist end of life and palliative care in their own homes, helping them to stay in familiar surroundings near their loved ones.

The SPUR (Specialist Palliative Urgent Response) service, which began operation yesterday (Monday 12 January), will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

 It will take calls from patients and their families, as well as healthcare professionals, and either offer advice, signpost to relevant services, or arrange a home visit within two hours, bringing the hospice’s expert skills directly into people's homes in times of crisis.

The initiative responds to longstanding gaps in out-of-hours palliative care provision, particularly overnight, where fragmented services have often led to undue stress for families and increased pressure on local emergency departments.

It will complement the hospice’s current Specialist Community Palliative Care service, which provides support from 8am – 8pm.

The intention is that, by providing a single point of contact, patients and their families will be able to receive the support they need more quickly.

A total of 28 new jobs have been created to operate the new service in clinical and administrative positions.

The service will be delivered by Birmingham Hospice in partnership with Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board.

Paul Bytheway, chief executive at Birmingham Hospice, said: “This service will help patients remain in their preferred place of care and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions by providing wraparound support.

 “It will reduce the exhaustion and anxiety we know can occur when patients, loved ones and carers don’t know where to turn. Patients should not have to wait until business or operating hours to receive relief from pain or distress – every person deserves the dignity of expert care at any hour of the day or night.

“We only have one chance to get end of life care right and, with this service, we hope to transform the end-of-life experience from one of crisis into one of comfort, safety and dignity.”

Funding for the SPUR service has been provided by the now-closed Macmillan Cancer Support End of Life Care Fund.  

Through an outcomes-based approach, Macmillan is helping to change the way health and care services are funded, so more people receive the personalised, flexible support they need and deserve.

A key focus of this work is integrating palliative and end of life care services locally, improving patient outcomes and reducing avoidable hospital stays by ensuring care is delivered where people are most comfortable: at home.