Since its launch in 2022, the Wigan Borough Palliative and End of Life Care Learning Hub has reached a wide group of nurses, carers and other healthcare professionals within the borough and provided them with the support and relevant training needed to allow them to provide the best care possible. The Learning Hub is an initiative across hospital and community services with the aim to provide a wide variety of education and training opportunities free of charge.
Practice Development Manager, Debbie Jones shared,
“As we approach the first anniversary of the Wigan borough palliative and end of life learning hub, it is fantastic to see the impact that this initiative has had on our community.
Our clinical skills suite at the hospice is constantly filled with staff from a variety of health and social care settings across the locality. Many attend training sessions to refresh or enhance their knowledge, skills and confidence in palliative and end of life care, whilst for some that are new to care, they are embarking on a learning journey that begins with those key foundations of good practice.
Our newly launched information afternoons are an opportunity for staff and members of the public to come along and find out more about the hospice, and the services we offer. To date we have had a variety of professional carers attending, such as paramedics, social workers, mental health practitioners and student nurses, and we have also had informal carers dropping in to source more information and link in with appropriate support.
Over the summer we hosted our first summer school, working with Winstanley, St John Rigby and Wigan and Leigh colleges. Twenty-three college students came to the hub at the hospice to learn more about the work we do, and how palliative and end of life care is relevant to their future careers in medicine, nursing, social work etc.
The hub awards also take place on Friday 13th October, and what better way to celebrate the first anniversary, than to recognise and honour those individuals who constantly go that extra mile to ensure those patients and people important to them requiring palliative and end of life care, have the best experience possible, with a focus on promoting choice, comfort and dignity.
The practice development team offer a comprehensive programme of education sessions, from 3-day courses to half day sessions delivered at the hospice, and in addition facilitate virtual teaching sessions, for those who find this method easier to access.”
Thank you to everyone who has supported our Learning Hub as the team continues to work towards offering vital training that will improve the care for residents who have been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness.