A BASINGSTOKE hospice is introducing an innovative scheme which will allow terminally ill people to be cared for in their own homes.

St Michael’s Hospice will, over the next five years, introduce four community hubs for the Hospice at Home service across its referral area of North Hampshire.

Each hub will be managed by a senior nurse, who will coordinate a team of palliative care doctors, nurses, therapists and social workers.

The teams will work closely with GPs, community nurses, carers and other healthcare professionals.

The initial pilot is being part funded by North Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and funding for the full scheme will be primarily from the hospice itself, with a contribution from Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) which runs Basingstoke hospital.

This service, which will run out of existing medical facilities, such as GP practices, will mean that a greater number of patients who are suffering from life-limiting conditions will be able to choose where they receive care.

Hospice at Home provides similar specialist care accessible at the hospice within a patient’s home, through nursing, care support and symptom control.

The first planned hub will cover the Odiham and Alton areas.

David Monkman, chief executive at St. Michael’s Hospice, said that ongoing funding would be vital for the success of the project in years to come.

He said: “The development and growth of Hospice at Home services is crucial to ensuring we meet the changing needs of the community we represent, the new more locally-based teams will greatly enhance our service to patients.

“By forging closer links with clinicians in each locality, a more efficient and streamlined service can be offered, ensuring patients and their families are receiving the finest possible medical and nursing care obtainable.

“Currently 10 million people in the UK are aged over 65, and this figure is predicted to increase by 55 per cent to just under 16 million by 2030.

“These statistics demonstrate just how vital the developments of predominantly charitably funded organisations are in the deliverance of end of life care, easing the burden on our already stretched hospitals. By meeting the needs of patients within their homes we can potentially avoid costly and unnecessary admissions on to hospital wards.”

Dr Lara Alloway, consultant in palliative medicine at HHFT, said: “It is just this kind of collaboration between healthcare organisations that means we can take a real step forward in how we provide care for people who want to die in their own homes.”