Welcome to St Elizabeth Hospice this Christmas, one that we anticipate will be challenging in many ways as we cope with the impact of Coronavirus on top of an already emotionally charged Christmas.

Im Verity Jolly and I have worked at St Elizabeth Hospice since the very beginning when we first opened the doors back in 1989. At the time I was the Ward Sister, Im now the Director of Patient Services and remain a Registered Nurse. Over the years, the hospice has grown considerably and I am proud that we are able to provide increased care and support to more people every year.

Through our multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, therapists and healthcare assistants we make sure we are here for as many people as possible who need us, adapting quickly to changing situations, pulling out all the stops to improve the lives of patients and families at usually the worst time of their lives.

This year, once we managed the initial challenges of the pandemic such as protective equipment and testing, the main challenge was the speed at which we needed to act, the impact on how we provide care and the uncertainty and sometimes fear the pandemic has caused. On the Inpatient Unit we needed to make difficult decisions around limiting visitor numbers at the bedside to safeguard patients and staff as well as supporting families coming in to visit. The day care unit was closed to groups and day care attendances because of social distancing and the risk of spreading infection.

In response to emergency COVID-19 planning we very quickly had to act to keep the service going; we increased beds from 18 to 24 to support the potential increase in patient numbers. In the community we enhanced our advice line, OneCall, to a palliative and end of life care hub to support patients, families and healthcare professionals - on average we have been receiving 2,500 calls a month since the pandemic began. We are able to offer a wider bereavement service and therapies, transport protective equipment and drugs, and we also increased our support into care homes and GP surgeries.

Christmastime can be especially emotional and topped with COVID-19 will make this year very challenging with anxiety levels increasing and peoples freedom being impacted. Our approach this Christmas is as always to do the best we can, putting patients and families at the centre.

We were fortunate enough to receive additional and unexpected funding from Public Health England, via Hospice UK, to fund some of our much needed services during the pandemic, and this has helped enormously. However, we still anticipate a shortfall of over £1 million due to the impact of COVID-19 on our fundraising and retail activities.

We want the hospice to be able to give care and support to all who need us, whether thats at home, in a care home or at the hospice. This year, your donation will be matched by one of our generous local companies who have pledged to maximise the gifts our supporters make. Details about this can be found on the donation form enclosed.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, on behalf of the staff, volunteers and patients for the support you have given the hospice. We are here because you care.

Wishing you a peaceful and safe Christmas along with a healthier 2021.

Yours sincerely,

Verity Jolly