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Patients in North West Wales with life threatening illnesses have always received a high standard of care from doctors and nurses whether in hospital or at home. However, it was felt that additional facilities could be provided for those patients who preferred to end their days at home with family or friends. It was for this reason that the concept of the Hospice at Home service was first discussed in April 1989.
Half
a dozen of us met to discuss the possibility of raising sufficient funds to provide such service which would allow patients who have a life threatening illness to end their days at home if they so chose. But ideas have to be backed with hard cash so we set about organizing various events and appeals under the chairmanship of Dr Jim Davies retired Principal of Bangor Normal College who has done
a tremendous amount of work for various causes in Wales.
To cover the anticipated costs, a target of half a million pounds was set and this was raised within two years with the generous support of the public. So the concept of the Hospice at Home
became reality after a successful fund raising campaign and charity status was granted. The company, which is limited by guarantee, was incorporated in December 1990. Once the target had been attained, Jim Davies then went on
to chair other fund raising charities. It was in the period that followed when Mr RHP Oliver, retired surgeon, took the chair that the Hospice went from strength to strength.
The Acute Unit of the Gwynedd Health Trust as it was then, in association with the Hospice, recruited nurses in 1991 and after training in Hospice work, the first referrals were made on 5
January 1992. Ten nurses under a Nurse Manager, were then responsible at that time for Gwynedd or Gwynedd
& Anglesey as it is now.
Even though the present Day Hospice is very popular with patients, our prime concern and that which we support foremost is the Hospice at Home service.
Gwynedd Hospice at Home joined the North West Wales NHS
Trust on
1st April 1996 and is now led by a Consultant in Palliative Care,
and a Nurse Team Leader with Hospice nurses working within the Department of Palliative Care alongside their medical colleagues, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. The Hospice nurses, who work in collaboration with the primary health care teams, Macmillan and Marie Curie nurses cover Anglesey and
Gwynedd.
The
nursing
costs are shared
between the charity and the NWW NHS Trust. Our income is generated from invested capital, sales at our Hospice
charity shops at Menai Bridge, Llangefni, Holyhead, Harlech, Porthmadog, Bala and Dolgellau; special events and donations from the public. The Charity is very well
supported by some 300 volunteers whose work include manning the Day Hospice and the shops, driving, Home Visiting and fundraising.
The
charity administration costs are kept to a
minimum. The Hospice has two full time employees - the Day Care Manager and Fundraising Manager; along with 3 part-time employees - Volunteer Service
Co-Ordinator, Fundraising
Assistant and Day Care Administration Assistant.
The Day Hospice at Hafan Menai provides patients
who have a life threatening illness, with clinical advice, complementary therapies, arts and crafts as well as social contact and refreshments.
There are benefits in having the centre in the grounds of Ysbyty Gwynedd one of them being that more people will have access to
the centre from all parts of Gwynedd and Anglesey.
Another reason is that because of its
proximity to the Oncology Unit, Alaw Ward, patients there
will when they feel well enough, be able to
make use of the facilities that are available
in Hafan Menai.
Hon
Company Secretary
Gwynedd Hospice at Home
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