Celebrating the role of our Patient Experience Volunteers and their impact during their first 12 months
The Calendar Competition is BACK!
By Kirsty Cornwall, Quality Improvement Facilitator
The Ayrshire Hospice is delighted to announce the return of its popular photography competition this Spring. After a four-year hiatus, the much- loved competition for aspiring amateur photographers returns, offering them the opportunity to have one of their images featured in the Ayrshire Hospice 2025 calendar. This year’s theme is ‘Celebrating Ayrshire through the Seasons’, and the judging panel is seeking the finest image that showcase our region throughout Spring, Summer, Autumn, or Winter. The competition continues to receive fantastic support from Robert at Vennal Cameras, who will sponsor the competition and provide the overall winner with a £150 voucher. Gwenda Burns, Strategic Lead for Income Generation and Partnerships, commented: ....................... “We’re thrilled to bring back the Photography competition, and we’re eagerly anticipating everyone’s entries.
By Ron Swanson, Fundraising Manager
During 2023, our patient experience volunteer team grew in numbers, and now consists of three experienced individuals committed to helping ensure the views of our patients and families are heard and used to inform decisions about our services. Between January and December 2023, the views of 111 patients and carers who use our services were captured via face-to-face conversations, telephone calls and focus groups.
A partnership with the Ayrshire Hospice could be highly beneficial for your business. It not only engages your staff but also provides valuable volunteering opportunities, fostering teambuilding. Moreover, a partnership allows both your business and the Hospice to explore innovative opportunities beyond financial contributions. Your business has the potential to make a heartfelt difference. Regardless of your organisation’s size or the amount of money you can pledge to raise, your support will significantly impact local individuals living with life- limiting illnesses and their families. If your colleagues or company would be interested in supporting us , please contact Ron on 01292 288488 or email donate@ayrshirehospice.org and let’s see how we can work together.
Topics they have explored have included:
• The Ayrshire Hospice Community Nursing service
• The experience of being in the In-Patient Unit (IPU), including the environment, staff and food
• The ward round process
“Our calendar is a popular item in our shops each year, and it’s truly special to have our supporters contribute their stunning
The judging panel will select the 12 best images for next year’s calendar, with the overall winner’s photograph gracing the calendar’s cover. Additionally, the winner will receive the £150 voucher to spend at Vennal Cameras in Ayr. Full details on how to enter, the closing date, and more can be found at ayrshirehospice.org
• Respite stays in the IPU
• ReSPECT (ReSPECT stands for Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment. The ReSPECT process creates a summary of personalised recommendations for a person’s clinical care in a future emergency in which they do not have capacity to make or express choices.)
photography to it.” ....................... If you are an enthusiastic
• The Complementary Therapy service
photographer or simply someone who loves capturing the beauty of Ayrshire, submit a maximum of four of your finest shots to enter. Whether you’re grabbing your camera or phone to seize that perfect Ayrshire scene right now or digging through your archive of past seasons’ pictures, get snapping and get ready to submit your entries when the submission window opens in May.
• The Living Well Hubs and FABS (Fatigue, Anxiety, Activity Pacing, Breathlessness, Spirituality and Sleep) clinic The volunteers are involved throughout the process, firstly checking that the questions patients and carers are asked are worded in a non-clinical manner – it’s well known that we can use too many acronyms in healthcare! The feedback is then collated and reported back to the relevant service leads. This allows managers to receive honest feedback from the people using the service to help them understand where the service is performing well, in addition to any opportunities for improvement. 2024 is set to be just as busy, with the next areas of focus being the counselling service and physiotherapy out-patient’s clinic.
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April 2024 | EDITION 36
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