More support for terminally ill children

Monday 02 January 2017

A local charity plans to support more children in the Island who are terminally ill.

Jersey Hospice Care expanded its services last year to support youngsters and their families and in 2017 plans to tailor them to every child with life limiting conditions.

The Charity's Chief Executive Emelita Robbins said: "We have started this journey in 2016 with our Emotional Support team, who, with the benefit of additional resources, are now able to offer support to children and their families from the point of diagnosis through any life limiting illness and bereavement. 

"We plan to grow our services for children through 2017 and beyond."

In 2014 the charity opened its doors to patients with any life limiting conditions and is committed to enabling everyone to have a good death.

2016 proved a busy year for the charity in terms of fundraising. As well as the Condor Ferries' Dragon Boat Festival, Million Pound Lottery and Christmas Tree collections, the summer saw some extreme challenges.

Throughout July, Islanders were challenged to take a big dip in the sea and swim 30 Bays in 30 Days, the charity's new fundraiser in collaboration with The National Trust for Jersey.

One team took on the entire challenge in just one day, starting at 05:30 and finishing just after 17:00.

Two Islanders achieved a remarkable goal in the triathlon to beat all triathlons this Summer - running, swimming and cycling all the way from People's Park to Paris.

Andy Truscott and Paul Burrows, pictured at the L'Arc De Triomphe, covered the 250 miles at the end of July. Mr Truscott, who 'won' the two-man challenge, even vowed to one day do it again. "Never say never," he said, while nursing a beer at the French capital.

In September the charity held its first Ball for a decade and the 600-plus guests all helped raise lots for Hospice.

Aside from all the fundraising, the charity has had a busy 2016.

Mrs Robbins said: "Sister Yasmin Butler completed her non-medical prescribing training, which means she is able to prescribe medications for patients in our In Patient Unit, so that they have more timely access.

"Non-Medical Prescribers have been present in hospitals for a long time, but are relatively new in the hospice world. Having two Non-Medical Prescribers at Jersey Hospice Care is something we are very proud of.

"On the first anniversary of our launch of the Gold Standards Framework in Jersey, we rolled out the national training scheme to the General Hospital. The scheme is designed to improve the quality of care given to people in the last year of their life. Jersey is the first jurisdiction to introduce this across all care providers."