New consultant to support hospice and hospital patients

A new consultant at St Nicholas Hospice Care and West Suffolk Hospital is set to bring benefit to more patients in need of palliative care.

Dr Mary McGregor, who is employed by the hospice as a consultant in palliative medicine, will be supporting hospice patients and those at the hospital needing end-of-life care.

She will work at both sites with colleague Dr Sarah Mollart, who is also a consultant in palliative medicine at the hospice.

Dr McGregor said: “Sarah and I are looking forward to the hospice and hospital teams working together more closely and see this as a fantastic opportunity to ensure the best care and support is offered to those who need us.

“The aim is that we are a cohesive team and there will be a more consistent consultant presence in the hospital to support the excellent nursing team that’s already there. We hope it will make discharging patients with complex needs from hospital a more seamless process, due to the join-up between the two teams.”

Barbara Gale, chief executive at the hospice, said linking with the hospital in this way ‘should mean better care for patients wherever they are and also provide valuable peer support for doctors in the hospital’.

Dr Pamela Chrispin, medical director at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, added: “We’re committed to providing the best possible care for patients and their families as they near the end of their lives. Having our palliative care consultants working in both the hospice and hospital, we will be able to further improve the support we provide while also making sure our patients receive consistent and seamless services and the care of their choice at a difficult time.”