A Suitable Case for Treatment

It is always something exciting to be there to witness a new community support centre.  Six members of the club (President Michael Ginn, Patrick Rothon, Roger Kettle, Michael Dunne, Peter Greene and Brian Wellman (also a Trustee of the charity) witnessed this at the new St. Luke’s Hospice, Thurrock, on Wednesday October 26.  They saw for themselves how this addition to the St Luke’s portfolio was performing.  As long-time supporters of this charity, it was very good to see it in operation.

Meeting NHS Needs

The project to build this facility started twenty years ago in 2002 when the need for an additional facility was recognised.  After years of negotiations with the local council, and with developers of a new 80 house estate on Lower Dunton Road, Langdon Hills, a Section 106 order was issued requiring the developers to provide the land for the new Hospice building at no cost to the Hospice.

Planning permission was obtained in 2015, and the building was completed and became operational in 2021, offering six in-patient rooms in a light and airy building, able to take full advantage of views of the beautiful surrounding countryside.  It also offers facilities for patients’ families and loved ones to stay overnight, Outpatient clinics and therapies, adult and children counselling facilities, Café (open to the public) and an administrative centre for the Education and Fundraising teams.

Bed Shortage

The facility plans were not alone in being affected by Covid and the unit was commissioned by Mid Essex HC Trust, as a Covid Antibody Treatment Centre.  With that need now largely met by facilities elsewhere, the Basildon Hospice is now needed to help meet the projected bed shortage in the district, so the WISH (Wellbeing, Information and Support Hub) facility is moving from Basildon to this new Thurrock facility, allowing a 4-bedroom ward to be created at the Basildon site in the space thus freed up.

The Tour

We were welcomed by Marilyn DeBattista and, after an introduction to the history of the facility we were taken upstairs to see the Education, Counselling, Therapeutic, and Fundraising, PR, and Marketing facilities which are all based there for St. Luke’s as a whole.  Therapeutic services such as Physiotherapy, Lymphoedema and Complementary Medecine are offered here, alongside five counselling rooms (one specially designed for children). 

These support anyone who has been bereaved within the last 5 years due to a life limiting illness, as well as bereavement support for families and carers who may have experienced a traumatic loss such as a road traffic accident, industrial accident, suicide or other sudden deaths. Most impressive is the low carbon footprint of the building.

Anyone For A Jacuzzi?

Then down to the ground floor and the in-patient area.  The facilities in the rooms – all with an en-suite & private outside space, and access to Spa/assisted bathing.  A Family/Relatives room, Garden room as well as nurse offices and in house laundry, and staff refreshment breakout space are also in this area.

The Spa room was very impressive with its large size, the hoist to support ‘bed bound patients’ who particularly benefit from therapeutic Jacuzzi bath which can support their muscles, blood flow, digestion, hygiene and general wellbeing/relaxation.  We loved the overhead “sparkly” lights above the bath!

Also here are the consultants and doctors’ rooms and the in-house laundry.

And in Conclusion

Both the tour managed by our guide Marilynn, and the facility itself, left us all impressed. We look forward to a time when the in-patient rooms are occupied for their planned purpose, but it is so pleasing to see that the building is helping the NHS cope with the expected winter demand.

Recognising the service offered by St. Luke’s, the club has voted to donate an extra £500 to the hospice to help them in their work, plus hold a collection for them at our Christmas Lunch in December.