One would assume the role of the clinical admin team is just taking telephone calls and filing patient notes…..

But it is far from just this. Throughout the global pandemic we have continued to provide the back up support to our colleagues across the organization and have been the first point of contact for people getting in touch with the Hospice.

During these uncertain times, our patients and those who matter most to them, have had lots of questions that needed answering.

‘My treatment is stopping’, ‘I’m worried about being around anyone with Covid’, ‘what are the symptoms of the virus?’, ‘is the hospice service still running?’, ‘are nurses still visiting?’, ‘I can’t see my wife who is in hospital, I need to know how she is’. These are just a few examples of the calls we were receiving daily and continue to receive now.

Hearing the heartbreak in people’s voices, harbored our personal worries for our own families. In the early days it was so difficult, as there was little knowledge about the virus, but everyone wanted answers which made these unprecedented times even more stressful.

We didn’t have the skills of a doctor, nurse, or social worker, but we did have empathy, a gentle, calm voice and a listening ear at the end of the phone, to help solve their problem.

We guided staff who worked from home, we kept communication lines open throughout the teams and worked with all our colleagues to ensure every patient was supported. We continued to take referrals for new patients and bereaved relatives and continued to co-ordinate the Hospice at Home service to ensure night care for our end of life patients allowing their carer to get a good night’s rest.

We continue to work every day in the office, keeping things running efficiently and keep morale alive, working each day with a smile!