Saturday 11 February 2012
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Sue Ryder awarded grant to improve access to palliative care services for the local BME community
13 November 2009
Sue Ryder Manorlands hospice has been awarded £276,549 from the Department of Health ‘Third Sector Investment Programme' for their Hospice Apprenticeship Project.
This pilot project is an initiative on behalf of Sue Ryder Manorlands hospice to promote and expand the use of specialist palliative care services to support people living with complex conditions including cancer amongst the South Asian community in Keighley and surrounding areas.
The three year innovative project, will recruit a total of 10 apprentices to assist in the process of increasing access to palliative and end of life care service provisions for the South Asian community. In addition, the project will also recruit at least 15 volunteers to assist in the process of meeting the intended objectives.
Steve Davison, Palliative Care Services Manager at Sue Ryder, said: ‘Historically healthcare providers of end of life and palliative care services such as Sue Ryder have always seen a very poor uptake from Black and Minorities Ethnic communities due to reasons that may include cultural or religious obstacles'.
Nationally and locally there are a low number of referrals to palliative and end of life care services for people from BME communities.
Sikander Hussain, who has recently been appointed to lead this new project, said: "We will be working within the community and existing community groups to identify people and their carers with cancer and non-cancer conditions. We will help pilot ways of addressing the many and varied cultural barriers which exist within their own communities that prevent access to palliative and end of life care services when required."
Bradford and Airedale PCT have endorsed the proposal as it addresses a number of identified needs in line with their community development strategy. It addresses three of their key priorities: improving access to Black and Minorities Ethnic communities, improving equity across the communities and increasing recruitment into healthcare from Black and Minorities Ethnic communities.
This pilot project will contribute to identifying potential replicable models of support within minority communities to deliver end of life and palliative care services which will be promoted on a national level.
Sikander Hussain, Project Co-ordinator, commented "This is an excellent opportunity for Keighley to spearhead a local initiative which will be promoted on a national level."
Sue Ryder provides quality care for people living with end of life and long-term conditions including Cancer, Stroke, Brain Injury, Multiple Sclerosis, Dementia, Huntington's Disease, Parkinson's Disease and Motor Neurone Disease. Its specialist palliative services ensure that people receive compassionate, timely and expert support at all stages of their illness, and act as an expert resource to other local services.
Sikander will be initiating a recruitment and selection process for 5 apprentices to start from January 2009.
If you would like to receive more information about Sue Ryder, or the Hospice Apprenticeship Project please call Sikander Hussain 07775030826 or email sikander.hussain@bradford.nhs.uk