Northamptonshire's Hummingbird Bereavement Service Unveils Comprehensive Support for End-of-Life Patients and their Families

Strategic Insights -

The Cransley Hospice Trust and Cynthia Spencer Hospice Charity have partnered to launch the Hummingbird Bereavement Service, a groundbreaking initiative designed to address a critical gap in bereavement support services in Northamptonshire. By teaming up with charities Age UK and Mind, the service aims to provide specialist email and telephone support, one-to-one counseling, and structured support groups to those affected by terminal illness and bereavement. The service is accessible to anyone aged 18 or over in Northamptonshire who has received a terminal diagnosis or has been bereaved following the death of someone with a terminal diagnosis.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Hummingbird Bereavement Service is a collaborative effort between Cransley Hospice Trust, Cynthia Spencer Hospice Charity, Age UK, and Mind to address the lack of bereavement support services in Northamptonshire.
  • The service will provide specialist email and telephone support, one-to-one counseling, and structured support groups to individuals affected by terminal illness and bereavement.
  • The service is designed to cater to individuals aged 18 or over who have received a terminal diagnosis or have been bereaved following the death of someone with a terminal diagnosis.
  • Victoria Gray, Head of Service Transformation and Commissioning for Cransley Hospice Trust, has been instrumental in setting up the project, identifying a significant gap in one-to-one bereavement counseling.
  • The service is financially independent from the NHS and will rely on fundraising to sustain itself after its initial 15-month funding period.
  • The partnership between the four organizations aims to provide genuine, specialist support to improve the lives of those dealing with end-of-life diagnoses and bereavement.

Statistics:

  • The service is available to individuals aged 18 or over in Northamptonshire who have received a terminal diagnosis or have been bereaved following the death of someone with a terminal diagnosis.
  • The service will provide support to individuals in their last year of life or their family members and friends who have been bereaved.
  • The service will be sustained for 15 months, after which point fundraising efforts will be necessary to ensure its continuation.
  • The partnership between the four organizations has secured funding to support the service's initial 15-month period.

Sources:

  • Victoria Gray, Head of Service Transformation and Commissioning, Cransley Hospice Trust and Cynthia Spencer Hospice Charity
  • Anita Frith, Director of Income Generation and Communications, Cynthia Spencer Hospice Charity
  • Age UK Northamptonshire
  • Mind Northamptonshire
  • Cransley Hospice Trust
  • Cynthia Spencer Hospice Charity