AS the Hospice Angels campaign inches closer to the halfway fundraising mark, a St John's Hospice doctor has spoken out about the importance of the Hospice at Home nurses.

Dr Simon Edgecombe. a speciality doctor in palliative medicine at the Lancaster hospice, said that he placed huge value on the 'holistic care' that the nurses provide.

"Going into the hospital is a very disempowering thing," he said. "You are shoved in a room with people you do not know - going into a patient's house, it's a sense of us being a guest in their space.

"The busy, resource depleted NHS care tends to get focused on medical needs but behind that, in comparison, palliative care is centred on care of the patient and their families as whole real people."

The Hospice at Home nurses work closely with all of the team involved in looking after a patient - including district nurses, GP's and specialists like Dr Edgecombe.

"There are close liaisons between the different teams," he said. "At times it is appropriate for somebody who has been at home to then come in to the hospice."

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In some cases, patients may choose to leave their homes and go to the hospice - this process is made manageable thanks to the communication between the nurses and the other Hospice staff.

The Westmorland Gazette's campaign looks to raise £30,000 - enough to fund one Hospice at Home nurse for one full year and to allow patients and families to continue having the ability to choose where end of life care takes place.

If you or your family has been helped by a Hospice at Home nurse and would like to share your story, please contact Sara Royle on 01539 790260 or email sara.royle@nqnw.co.uk

So far the campaign has raised more than £13,000 thanks to the generous donations of the Gazette's readers and local groups.