Naomi House and Jacksplace offering beds to hospital patients to relieve NHS pressure

As lockdown began, Naomi House and Jacksplace, which provide hospice care for children and young adults, temporarily suspended respite care and instead offered up six staffed beds to Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Since then, six adults from neighbouring hospitals have been admitted to Jacksplace and cared for by the charity’s skilled nursing and care team, leaving the NHS better able to address the immediate challenge of coronavirus.

The beds in question, in the charity’s hospice for young adults, have been given to patients who are medically fit for discharge but in need of additional care.

Mark Smith, chief executive of Winchester-based Naomi House and Jacksplace has said the decision was the right one and he is proud his team could play their part in the fight against Covid-19.

He said: ‘The speed with which our nurses, carers, cooks, housekeepers and family support staff could turn our service on its head and deliver first rate care to adults from local hospitals while continuing, albeit remotely, to assist our referred families was really something to behold.

‘The teams have been agile and adaptable, and totally committed to finding a way for this charity to make [a] real and meaningful difference in the battle against this virus. Our thoughts, of course, are with our service users and families.

‘Every day we find new ways of connecting with them and supporting them remotely, but we look forward to the time when we can welcome them back to the hospices.’

Naomi House and Jacksplace’s family support team, which cares for more than 500 families across the south, have been offering a whole range of services during lockdown including social work, bereavement counselling, sibling support and play therapy.

Counselling has been conducted by telephone or Zoom meetings, while a Facebook group for bereaved parents has provided a platform for advice and peer support.

Naomi House and Jacksplace have launched a number of ways to support the charity during lockdown, including live music gigs via Facebook, quizzes and a DIY haircut campaign called Who Dares Trims.

For more information, visit naomihouse.org.uk

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