Health Minister Visits Nightingale House

Welsh Government Minister for Health and Social Services, Lesley Griffiths, visited Nightingale House Hospice this week.

Welsh Assembly Minister for Health and Social Services, Lesley Griffiths, visited Nightingale House Hospice this week to see for herself the progress that has been made in palliative care.

The Minister, who is also Labour AM for Wrexham, was given the opportunity to talk to staff about the improvements they have seen in end of life care made possible by Welsh Government’s continued funding.

Speaking during her visit, she said: “While I understand that many patients would prefer to be in their own homes to receive palliative and end of life care, where this isn’t possible, hospices like Nightingale House are invaluable.

“I’m pleased to see that the ring-fenced funding we announced three years ago has borne fruit in this area of care.”

The funding formula developed by the Palliative Care Cymru Implementation Board ensures hospices receive some funding for the specialist palliative care provided on behalf of the NHS.

While at the hospice, Lesley Griffiths was invited to meet patients from the Day Unit Monday Programme and unveil a hoist that helps ease patients into and out of the hydrotherapy pool.

She said: “I know this hydrotherapy pool provides a valuable source of pain relief for many people in your care. This hoist will mean that many more people will benefit from the facilities this hospice can offer to its in-patients and out-patient attendees.

“This is a wonderful addition and just shows what partnership working between patients, their families, the community as a whole, as well as corporate sponsors can provide.”

The Minister also met the sponsors who helped to fund the new hoist, including Mrs Val Davies and relatives whose family members benefitted from the hydrotherapy pool and the facilities at the hospice, The St James Place Foundation, Hadlow Edwards Associates and The Marjory Boddy Charitable Trust Funding.

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