A project which promotes equality, diversity and inclusion in hospice care, has won a prestigious national award.

St Helena’s Safe Harbour project, run in collaboration with Macmillan Cancer Support, won the Innovation in Tackling Inequalities Award at the Hospice UK 2018 awards.

The project reaches out to people who traditionally have had difficulty accessing hospice services, such as people who are homeless, people with drug and alcohol addiction, ethnic minorities, and those living in areas of deprivation.

Dr Karen Chumbley, Clinical Director at St Helena, said: “Since the Safe Harbour project began, we have seen a rise in referrals to St Helena from the most deprived areas of our community, allowing people to receive hospice care in a place of their choosing.”

Hospice UK reports that evidence from bodies such as the Care Quality Commission shows that people from certain groups in society sometimes experience poorer quality care at the end of their lives because their needs are not always fully understood or considered. People may be less likely to receive good care because of age, ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or social circumstance.

Debbie Pigeon, Macmillan outreach clinical nurse specialist based at St Helena, said “I am delighted to be involved in this worthwhile project making a difference to some of the most vulnerable people in our community.”

Commenting on the awards, Tracey Bleakley, Chief Executive of Hospice UK, said:

“Our awards celebrate the amazing people and innovative projects that have made such a big difference to the support provided by hospice and palliative care providers to people with life-limiting conditions.”