Our inpatient unit continued to be affected by COVID restrictions throughout 2021-22, with testing, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and tight infection control measures all in place.
PPE equipment was in constant use throughout the pandemic. Over 25,000 protective masks were used during the year.
Despite this our dedicated team ensured the very best level of care and support to patients and families and, although restricted at times, we were able to maintain visiting throughout the pandemic. The team continued to be committed to ensuring our care was maintained at what was an incredibly challenging time for all, and over the course of the year we saw a 16% increase in the overall number of people referred to our clinical services compared with last year.
In 2021-22 our inpatient unit consisted of two wards – Cedar and Pentland.
Some of the key achievements from the year included;
Supporting NHS Lothian throughout the winter months by moving a portion of our inpatient care team out into the community. This involved the temporary closure of Cedar Ward to enable staff to better support the growing need NHS Lothian required support with.
Nursing staff redeployed from the wards to increase our Hospice at Home services.
Average occupancy over the year was high at 86%.
Visiting was maintained throughout the year, and services were largely maintained as normal. The team across the hospice worked hard to ensure measures were in place to allow safe visiting throughout the pandemic.
The whole experience has been overwhelmingly positive. From the moment I arrived I was treated like a person, not a patient. I made lots of friends and it was nice to meet new people that knew what I was going through in such a supportive environment.
