A look into Christmas at St John’s Hospice

It’s hailed as the most wonderful time of the year, a season of tinsel galore, overeating and binge-watching festive cinematic greats. While the Christmas Day scene might look so similar to many of us across the UK, the reality for so many others is different.

For teams like the staff at St John’s Hospice, Christmas Day is another day of hard work and commitment to providing patients the best possible care. While many of us can take comfort in sips of mulled wine or grazing a grand Christmas feast, the focus at St John’s is making sure that the holiday magic is brought onto the wards for patients and their families visiting.

Based in Balby, Doncaster, St John’s Hospice has provided palliative care since 1992. As stated on their website, their mantra is ‘providing support to patients, families and carers to live each day to the full’.

St John’s Hospice has been My Pension Expert’s chosen charity for several years. From festive bake-offs to marathons to raffles, the MPE team have banded together for several events in aid of raising donations for the hospice. In an differently themed blog from usual, we spoke to the team at St John’s for a look into what a Christmas on the ward entails.

1. How many staff typically work on Christmas Day, and what do their duties on the day typically ensue?

We offer exactly the same service on Christmas Day as every other day to our patients and families, both in the hospice setting, and in the community.

Our Hospice Inpatient Unit has 10 beds, so we will be supporting up to 10 patients and their families throughout Christmas. As well as the clinicians involved in patient care, we will have counselling, domestic and catering staff working to provide the best possible care to them all.

Our Specialist Community and End of Life Teams will be supporting patients in their own homes in the same way we support our Hospice patients, with expert care, symptom management, and home support.

Our team are there to ensure our patients are comfortable and give families and loved ones to the support they need to make special memories for what will be their last Christmas.

2. How does the Hospice make Christmas Day special for the team and patients?

Our Hospice is fully decorated up for the festive season, and we have lots of special treats in the run up to Christmas, with singers and even reindeers coming to visit.

Thanks to the generosity of our charity supporters, we are able to provide small gifts for our patients. We often receive hampers filled with festive goodies for our staff who are working on Christmas Day.

We recognise that our role is to be there when we are needed, and we don’t have strict rules about visiting, so families can stay overnight with their loved ones if they wish, that’s what makes it such a special place, nothing is too much trouble.

Families and carers are able to spend as much time with their loved ones as they want and can have Christmas lunch together where patients are well enough. Our Day Therapy Unit Team are having a Christmas party in the run up to Christmas where patients can attend with their loved one and offer peer support to each other and all the individual groups will join as one for the day.

3. Have any donations from MPE been utilised for the festive season?

My Pension Expert have once again been wonderfully supportive this year, and we are extremely grateful for everyone’s fundraising – the Great North Run was a real highlight for us, and we were overwhelmed by how much money was raised – thank you.

Our charity helps fund all the things that help us go over and above what the NHS can provide, and supports us in providing counselling, complementary therapies, hairdressing, as well as providing the best possible therapeutic environment.

We even have a family room stocked with TV and games to keep our younger visitors occupied when they are visiting.

We need to raise £500,000 each year to fund this work – so the money raised by MPE allows us to continue to provide this.

4. How can readers help/donate to the Hospice?

People can support us in so many different ways, whether it’s fundraising themselves taking part in our charity events and activities, donating money, or even volunteer their time.

To make a direct donation online, simply visit: https://tinyurl.com/s7bpn3kw where you can make a one-off donation, or even become a regular giver.

5. Festive food favourites?

Often, our patients may be too poorly to eat large Christmas meals, but our wonderful team goes to great lengths to cater to their individual needs on a day-to-day basis, and there’s always a mince pie or two for our visitors to enjoy.

We have a daily afternoon tea trolley with festive treats for patients and families… even dog treats for pets that can visit!

6. Do you have any go-to Christmas films/TV specials they always play during the festive season?

We provide ensuite accommodation in each of our rooms, so our patients don’t need to share a room, or ward. Each room is equipped with a television, and patients and families can watch whatever they wish in the comfort of their room, so they are able to keep up to date with all of their favourite programmes, as well as festive classics.

The Cast theatre is also streaming their pantomime into various care settings, including the Hospice, so our patients and families will be able to enjoy Jack and the Beanstalk!

7. Are there any festive fundraising activities occurring in the lead-up to Christmas?

We’ve been busy fundraising in the run-up to Christmas. We’ve sold over 3,000 raffle tickets in our Christmas Raffle, sold charity Christmas cards, and held a Christmas Coffee Morning so far.

Our second annual Light up a Life event was attended by over 200 people remembering their lost loved one and leaving a dedication on our Tree of Lights over the festive period.

Unfortunately, our Christmas Jumper Dash planned for 7 December had to be cancelled due to the storms, but we have pupils from both Rosedale Primary School in Scawsby and Sir Thomas Wharton Academy in Edenthorpe taking part in their own events on their school grounds, raising sponsorship for us.

We’ve also had lots of beautiful hampers donated, which we’ve been able to raffle off in the run up to Christmas.