Michael Howard Award for Partnership Working

St Oswald’s Hospice: Combined Supportive Care Service

The Combined Supportive Care Service is a collaboration between Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NuTH) and St Oswald’s Hospice. It provides personalised, multidisciplinary outpatient and community care, support and treatment for patients with a diagnosis of lung cancer or mesothelioma and significant frailty. Through collaboration, the service has improved care for people at the end of life.

At St Oswald’s Focus on Living Centre, patients have weekly access to a multidisciplinary care team to manage symptoms, improve function and quality of life. Assessments are at the hospice, in patients’ homes or via telephone. Symptoms, functional and future planning needs are addressed to improve quality of life for patients.

The panel felt the pilot NHS Elect Acute Frailty Network Programme to be an innovative example of a partnership between hospice and NHS Trust to offer care to frail older people and reduce hospital admissions, with clear evidence of outcomes and benefits to patients.