Newspaper Article 2010 – D-Day for Cranford

D Day for Cranford

In-patients move from hospice

by Jolene Williams and Mark Story

The doors closed on in-patients at Cranford Hospice today with the palliative care service for fulltime residents moving to the Hawke’s Bay Hospital.

Cranford is not expected to take in-patients for at least six months while a restructure brought about by the recent District Health Board audit into the troubled hospice is carried out.

Services for those other than in-patients are expected to continue at Cranford while the restructure expected to include redundancies occurs.

The lead-up to today’s transfer of the two current in-patients Cranford can house up to eight in-patients – included an outpouring of anger and anxiety from the hospice’s supporters.

Hawke’s Bay Today has been flooded with letters and texts lamenting the string of governance and management issues that led to the audit and temporary closure of the in-patient service.

A Cranford nurse said nurses were told on Friday that none of the hospice nurses would be caring for the patients at Hawke’s Bay Hospital.

“I find that unbelievable,” the nurse, who did not wish to be identified, said.  “I have four years’ experience in palliative care and I’ve never had a complaint, yet these patients will be cared for by hospital staff with no palliative care experience.”

A statue of an angel followed the Cranford in-patients to the hospital unit – Te Whare Atawhai – in a symbol of the transition today.

The unit’s single rooms for patients and private family rooms were also furnished with paintings, furniture and quilts from Cranford.

Director of nursing Chris McKenna said “We want the people to feel that same niceness [of Cranford]:.

Two weeks earlier the area was part of the hospital’s Assessment, Treatment and Rehabilitation unit.

HBDHB chief operating officer Warrick Frater said the effort to prepare the new facility was “nothing short of extraordinary”.

“It’s been a huge team effort and I want to publicly thank our staff who have made sure that we create the best environment we can for these patients and their families,” Mr Frater said.

The hospital already had specially trained staff that cared for between 10 and 20 palliative care patients every day, he said.

NEW HOME: Team leader Judith Thompson and Allison Stevenson, service Manager at Hawke’s Bay Hospital in Hastings, pictured with an angel donated by Cranford Hospice to the newly created ward.