Monday 15th December 2014

A RENEWED PARTNERSHIP

Ardgowan Hospice has been a cornerstone of the Inverclyde community for over thirty years, leading the way in terms of providing high quality, end of life care for patients and their families.
Indeed, my own family, as do many other families, continue to benefit from the first class services provided by its staff. Their focus on choice for patients and personalised care is something the wider NHS could learn from.

So it was with pleasure that on Friday I had the opportunity to speak at the launch of a renewed partnership which has worked so well for a number of years, between the hospice and another esteemed institution, the University of the West of Scotland, the largest provider of health and nursing education in Scotland.

Since it was established, Ardgowan hospice has constantly looked to innovate itself, in order to tailor its services to meet the needs of patients and families.

The renewed collaboration with the University has been enshrined so that the hospice can continue its journey as a centre of excellence providing high quality evidence based care.

With the elderly population set to rise significantly and people with complex needs such as dementia living longer the pressure on our NHS will increase. To help relieve this pressure, the Scottish Government wants to see more people cared for within the community.

It’s in this context that services such as those provided by Ardgowan hospice will become even more important, and it should be applauded for its continuing attempts to innovate which will allow it to adapt to the changing care landscape.

I wish the hospice well in its new endeavour, and I’m sure it will be leading the way for another thirty years to the great benefit of patients, their families and the wider community.