The Hospice Collaborative Partnership, has been shortlisted at the prestigious 2025 Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards, for HSJ Partnership of the Year Award. The partnership, which includes Farleigh Hospice, Havens Hospices and St Luke’s Hospice as well as NHS Mid and South Essex, has been shortlisted for the Hospice Rapid Access Service.
This recognition highlights the exceptional work and innovation demonstrated by the teams involved and a testament to their dedication to driving healthcare excellence.
Dr Matt Sweeting, Executive Medical Director at NHS Mid and South Essex, tells us more about the service:
The Hospice Collaborative Partnership developed the Hospice Rapid Access Service to promote patient choice and help patients achieve their preferred place of care and death, which improves their quality of life and reduces anxiety for their families. The service also helps to ease demand on health and social care systems by reducing hospital admissions and stays.
Launched in August 2023, the service offers rapid responses to patients changing needs, offering greater choice, flexibility and enhanced care from wrap around hospice services. As specialists in palliative and end of life care, the Hospices are uniquely placed to deliver this care to patients. The service helps ensure timely discharges from hospital, community or hospice settings to support patients in the comfort of their own homes.
The service receives around 300 referrals per month and in 2024 the service supported more than 2,000 patients.
In line with the NHS 10 Year Health Plan the Hospice Rapid Access Services helps deliver more care in the community. The Hospice Collaborative Partnership is also committed to improving personalised palliative and end of life care and reducing health inequalities. As well as providing 24/7 palliative care services, the partnership has helped make access to services and coordinated care more consistent across mid and south Essex, improved sharing of information and communication between healthcare teams, and provided additional bereavement support.
How the Hospice Rapid Access Service helped meet one resident’s dying wishes
An individual with dementia was nearing the end of life and was now bed-bound and unable to walk. After a stay in hospital, they had been discharged to a residential home. Although the individual no longer had capacity to make decisions about their care, the family knew their preferred place of care and preferred place of death was their home, and they were keen to uphold their loved ones wishes.
They were assessed by the Hospice Rapid Access Service which undertook a holistic assessment of their needs and wishes. A meeting was held with the health and care professionals involved and the family, including a loved one with lasting power of attorney, to discuss the pros and cons of discharge destination and available support from the Hospice.
The required support was put in place to enable them to return home and receive 24-hour care in their last days of life. The family said they felt listened to by the service and were grateful that the care provided allowed them to respect their loved one’s wishes.