Residents urged to find out more about Wakefield Hospice for Hospice Care Week

Wakefield Hospice is urging residents to find out more about its services to celebrate Hospice Care Week.

The charity also wants to encourage people from diverse backgrounds to consider hospice care if they or a loved one needs it.

The hospice, which opened in 1990, offers care not only for people suffering from cancer or nearing the end of their lives but care for anyone with a life-limiting illness, as well as providing well-being services and bereavement support for the families.

Suet, who has worked as a ward sister at the hospice since 2006 supporting the provision of palliative care to hundreds of patients – has recently changed roles and is now working in the community as the hospice’s first outreach manager.

She said: "I am incredibly passionate about hospice care and have seen for many years the benefit which Wakefield Hospice can provide, not just for patients but for their families and carers too.

"These benefits should be accessible to everyone across the Wakefield district, regardless of their background, religion or beliefs.

"Although the hospice has always prided itself on being ‘a hospice for everyone’, our statistics have recently highlighted how some groups and sections within the local community have been underrepresented when it comes to receiving care from the hospice.

“My role was introduced to find out more about why this trend exists, and promote hospice care within Wakefield to a greater diverse audience.”

In 2021, just 0.1 per cent of referrals to the hospice were from an ethnic background despite one in 13 people identifying as an ethnic minority in the district.

Sue says that the misperception of hospice care comes down to education. She said: “Even today, the word ‘hospice’ can often draw up negative connotations from people across all areas of society – ‘a scary place’, ‘a place people go to die’.

"The truth is Wakefield Hospice is not a scary place to visit, it is a nurturing place, a caring place, a supportive place.”

Sue said her main aims and ambitions as an outreach manager is to improve understanding, relationships and access.

She added: “We cannot – and of course would not – force hospice care upon anyone – how and where we receive care should always be a personal choice.

“However, by improving the understanding and awareness of hospice care across diverse sections of our community, we can begin to build relationships with key groups and personnel who can assist us in widening the knowledge and understanding of hospice care.

“Through the building of these relationships, we hope to improve the visibility of Wakefield Hospice across the whole of the Wakefield district, in turn improving access for everyone, regardless of their background, religion or beliefs.

“By working collaboratively with key groups, care and education providers and professionals from across the district, I am aiming to create an effective network of people with whom to share information, and gain a greater understanding into the needs and wants of ethnic groups across the local area.”

To speak with Sue about the work she does or to find out more about the care the hospice provides, contact her by email on [email protected] or phone on 01924 331400.