01/03/20

Coronavirus Update from ACCORD

The Coronavirus position is rapidly changing and we at ACCORD are working hard to respond to the current situation.

The Coronavirus position is rapidly changing and we at ACCORD are working hard to respond to the current situation. Here’s what we are doing to ensure we respond to the needs of our patients, supporters, staff and volunteers.

The best interests of our families, supporters, volunteers and staff will remain at the heart of everything that we do.

We will be working hard to ensure that our care and services are provided as much as possible and as safely as possible. There is a need to adjust how we make contact with some individuals and this will be assessed and agreed with patients and their families on an individual basis.

ACCORD continues to follow national guidance from the Scottish Government and Health Protection Scotland to inform our decision making.  We are also working closely with NHS services and other local hospices to ensure a joined up approach to the planning and delivery of care and services in this uncertain time.

Up to date information will be found on this page (Today’s date – 16/03/2020)

Patients and Families ACCORD are committed to the delivery of palliative and end of life care for the people of Renfrewshire and are working hard to protect those services from the impact of Corona virus. That means that we may change the type of contact that we make with patients and their families in the community using technology and the telephone. We will of course assess and agree this with patients on an individual need basis. While that means less person to person contact at times where there may be risk, the hospice teams will stay connected in other ways to make sure people are not isolated and have access to the support they need.

In order to protect patients and staff, we ask for thoughtful decisions to be made around visiting patients. Written information will be provided to the families of new and existing patients to support them with that.
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 Supporters Thank you for your continued and much valued support. If you require advice about visiting our hospice, the events you are organising, your own fundraising activity or events you are participating in, please contact our Fundraising Team via email fundraising@accord.org.uk or call 0141 581 2000 and we will be pleased to offer support as best we can. The Hospice is going to have to make critical decisions in the coming weeks about whether to cancel fundraising events, continue with certain fundraising activity and to monitor the impact of these uncertain times. We have already had to postpone or cancel some events and seen some decline in giving. We believe the impact on our income will be significant. We have decided to restrict any non-essential events at the hospice until further notice, with further restrictions placed on events outside the hospice. We are currently following guidance from the Scottish Government to support these decisions but also taking additional measures to protect the health and well-being of everyone.
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 Volunteers Staff members from various areas within the Hospice will be in touch to provide further information on your volunteering duties, please be reassured that your health and safety is important to the Hospice. If you have any questions please call the Hospice on 0141 581 2000 and we will support you. Wherever you volunteer, if you are worried, have any underlying health conditions or feel you should take extra care during the current situation, please feel you can call us to adjust your volunteering or to receive reassurance where possible.  Do let your line manager know with as much notice as you can. 

The safety and well-being of our volunteers remain paramount. Thank you for your incredible flexibility and outstanding support during this time. You really are an extraordinary group of people.
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 Staff
Our valued staff are vital to the continuing operation of our services at the Hospice and we are taking all necessary measures to ensure that we support and protect them while we work to deliver this safely and with minimal disruption throughout this period. 

We would like to thank our staff for their tireless commitment to the charity and for doing all they can to minimise infection and keep our services going for those in the community who need us most.

THANK YOU.

If you have any questions or queries please contact 0141 581 2000 or email info@accord.org.uk

Thank you from all at ACCORD.