Opposition councillors call for review to explore returning services to the former St Clare’s Hospice site

Opposition councillors in South Tyneside have called for a new group to be set up to explore returning services to the former St Clare’s hospice site.
South Shields Town Hall.South Shields Town Hall.
South Shields Town Hall.

The charity, in Jarrow, collapsed into insolvency in early 2019, leaving the borough without a dedicated palliative care facility.

Despite calls for services to return to the Primrose Hill base, NHS leaders approved plans for a new ‘spoke and hub’ model for the borough on September 24.

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The model will see around £1.5 million invested into palliative care per year and includes a new hospice-style facility at Haven Court, within the South Tyneside District Hospital site, providing four dedicated beds.

Bed capacity at the site could be reviewed in future, subject to demand, with a range of other complementary therapies planned.

South Tyneside’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) say the move will provide more choice for patients and extra support for those choosing to die at home.

Following the decision, opposition councillors have written to the leader of South Tyneside Council calling for services to be returned to the St Clare’s site – alongside the existing CCG plans at Haven Court.

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The open letter, supported by the authority’s six opposition councillors, requests that a ‘cross-party feasibility committee’ is established to explore the proposals further.

On completion of the feasibility study, the letter states, a final report could be produced and discussed by full council.

Independent councillor, Glenn Thompson, admitted the CCG’s model had “many strengths.”

But he also noted the strong public feeling that services should return to the St Clare’s site – from the benefits of its “tranquil setting” and bed capacity to the “historical emotional family connections.”

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“For these reasons, our council needs to react to the situation,” Cllr Thompson said.

“At the very least we need to show very clearly that we have listened to our constituents and explored every potentially viable avenue for the return of services to Primrose Hill.

“The formation of a cross-party feasibility committee in our council can do this.

“Something tells me that with the will of our council we may be able to achieve a positive outcome, and at the very least show our constituents we have tried everything possible.”

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A recent campaign calling for services to return to the St Clare’s site saw a 13,669-signature petition presented to Parliament on the issue.

Following the decision, South Tyneside Council’s leader, Iain Malcolm, penned a letter to Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, calling for an urgent review of the way palliative care is funded, commissioned and provided.

A council spokesperson added: “The closure of St Clare’s, which followed concerns raised by the Care Quality Commission, caused deep sadness across our community.

“In an ideal world we would love nothing more than to see services return to Primrose Hill but we have already asked the CCG to explore all options available to reinstate a dedicated hospice service.

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“Even with their additional £1.5 million investment, the CCG simply could not salvage the St Clare’s arrangement due to the circumstances in which it was closed, which were beyond our control.

“We must remember that end-of-life care is the responsibility of the NHS, not the council.

“Improved end-of-life services for South Tyneside have now been explored and agreed by the CCG which give people greater choice on where to spend their last days.

“While the hospice provided care for many over the years, consultation showed that many people wish to spend their last days in their own home with their family around them.

“This new model respects and provides for those wishes and is about giving people the best possible experience in the place they want to be.

“It is important to also note that the current model will be paid for using secure NHS funding rather than having to rely on charitable donations which the previous hospice did and which would be particularly challenging in these unprecedented times.

“The council has done all it can and the only remaining route now is to lobby central Government.

“A letter has already been written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care asking him to urgently review the funding, commissioning and provision of palliative and end-of-life care, as part of the wider ongoing review into social care, to ensure everyone has access to dignified, comfortable care of their choice close to their loved ones and in a place of their choosing.”

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