New service for terminally ill residents

Marie Curie and NHS Western Isles are launching a new service for patients at the end of life.

The appointment by Marie Curie of two Registered Nurses and one Health Care Assistant will provide local overnight care to residents in North and South Uist including Benbecula and Barra, enabling some to stay at home as their preferred option. This is the first step in a larger service which will provide care to residents on Lewis and Harris, forming the Marie Curie Western Isles service. Recruitment to posts based in Lewis and Harris are underway.* All posts are bank staff, delivering care as and when needed.

Most people, given the choice, would prefer to die at home, and some families need extra support during that time. Marie Curie Nurses can provide care and support to both the patient and their families at this stressful time, in addition to the care and support already being provided by NHS Western Isles staff.

NHS Western Isles is committed to continually improving the care of people at the end of their lives. There are a number of initiatives currently being developed and the partnership arrangement with Marie Curie is just one of them.

Nurse Director, Sandy Brown, stated: “NHS Western Isles is committed to providing high quality care for people throughout their lives and we recognise that end of life care has a huge impact, not only on the dying person, but also on their families. We hope to be able to ensure that every dying person has the best possible care and support. Having Marie Curie Nurses to call on to help patients and families, in addition to our own staff, will be invaluable to many families. We are pleased to be working in partnership with Marie Curie to provide this new service.”

Marie Curie Clinical Nurse Manager, Lynne Miller, said: “We’re excited to be launching this new service in partnership with NHS Western Isles. The three new nurses will complement existing services to offer patients with a terminal illness and their families the choice to receive high quality care at home, where they tell us they most want to be.

“Recruitment for seven further posts is underway and following successful appointments, we’ll be delivering a full service to the Western Isles.”

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