Annual Report 2019/20
Annual Report 2019/20
On Thursday 3rd December, Cranford Hospice held its 2019/20 Annual General Meeting.
The process of pulling together this year’s Annual Report has been quite cathartic for my team and I.
Leading a healthcare and charitable organisation through a global pandemic has been no easy task, and it can be tempting to solely focus on the impact that COVID-19 has had on us all. However, as we reflect on the achievements of this financial year, I am thoroughly heartened at the mahi of our community. E whakawhetai ana tātou – we are all truly grateful.
At Cranford Hospice, our team takes a whole person approach, and aims to meet the emotional, spiritual, cultural and physical needs of people. Our specialist palliative care services include clinical care, and access to our family Support Team who provide psychosocial support. The youngest person we are supporting is only 1 year old, with the oldest being 100 years old.
With the support from our community, this year alone our team made 27,170 contacts with 880 people living with palliative care needs across the Hawke’s Bay region – either in their home, on the phone, or in our inpatient unit. During this financial year, contacts increased by 18% and accepted referrals increased by 30% on the previous financial year.
A review of our Counselling Service clients showed that children who have a parent dying or has died represented 43% of counselling clients. In some cases, these families are not only having to cope with the palliative needs of their loved one, but also having to manage complex issues amongst children, parents and spouses. The mental health and wellbeing of patients and their family can be complex, and I want to take this time to acknowledge the skills and commitment from our Family Support Team who are currently working through innovative solutions to meet these needs.
This activity is a remarkable increase in the demand for palliative care services. With an ageing population comes a range of complexities when it comes to living with a life-limiting condition. A person’s palliative care journey may be over several years and the need for specialist palliative care may be episodic. Our hospice services must continuously evolve to ensure that we are best positioned to meet this demand, and securing the resources required to do so remains an ongoing and sizeable challenge for Cranford Hospice.
September 2019 was a significant month for Cranford Hospice as the organisation was externally audited to the NZS 8134:2008 Health and Disability Services Standard.
The audit report identified that the quality and risk management system continues to be a strength. There were no areas identified as requiring improvement, two areas were rated at the highest level, and patients and family members expressed a high level of satisfaction with the services provided. This was very pleasing feedback for the team that has
worked diligently to ensure that quality and risk are embedded.
During the year improvements were also made to the document control system, a medicines safety committee was established, ways in which we respond to grief and bereavement have been reassessed, and the review of risk is an integral part of key meetings. COVID-19 has impacted communities everywhere.
It was also a challenging time for many of the people we care for. Some of our working practices changed overnight; however, each day we continued to provide care to over 150 patients and their family, albeit in a different way. When I made my plea for help to our community through the Urgent COVID-19 Fundraising Appeal, we had no idea what the response would be. With our retail stores closed and all events cancelled for the foreseeable future, we were staring at a 50% loss in income.
The response from our community was immense and my team and I were flooded with messages of support and donations from people here in Hawke’s Bay, and from around the world. It is because of the tremendous support we received from people from all walks of life and organisations of all shapes and sizes, that we can look forward to the next 12 months with optimism.
My heartfelt thanks to every single person who has supported us this year. With your help, we continue to work towards our vision to help people make the most of living and dying within a compassionate community. And we strive to provide the best possible palliative care, education and advice services to the people of Hawke’s Bay.
Finally, I would like to take this time to acknowledge and thank the Cranford Hospice Trust Board and all our Staff and Volunteers, who worked so hard together through this challenging year. To be your Chief Executive Officer is an absolute privilege.
The whakataukī from our Board Chair’s report echoes true to me as I reflect on this year and the support that cloaks us all, He waka eke noa – I am not alone, and neither are you.
Ngā mihi nui
Janice Byford-Jones
Please click on the link below to read the full Annual Report for the Financial Year 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020.