Clare Holland House, the only inpatient palliative care unit in Canberra, will transition from Calvary to Canberra Health Services on 3 July, when CHS acquires Calvary Public Hospital Bruce.
Calvary said that it had “reluctantly” made the “difficult decision” to preserve the integrated care model and in the best interests of patients and staff.
“Calvary and the ACT Government have mutually agreed the future of Clare Holland House and access to public palliative care services in the Territory is best supported by remaining directly connected with the public hospital to ensure continuity of care for patients needing public palliative care services,” Calvary’s national CEO, Martin Bowles, said.
“To date, Calvary has run Clare Holland House as a service of the Calvary Public Hospital Bruce, and therefore there are clinical and operational interdependencies between the two services that ensure an integrated palliative care model for both inpatients and outpatients.
“It is with a heavy heart that we have come to this decision, but in our view Clare Holland House is not a separate service, and patient care is our priority.”
Health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the ACT Government recognised this had been a difficult decision for Calvary, but the decision would ensure continuity of care for patients needing public palliative care services and provide certainty for Clare Holland House staff.
“We have heard very clearly from staff that they believe palliative care services – hospice and community-based – should stay together as a specialised, integrated palliative care service,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“The ACT Government and Calvary are committed to working together over the next week and beyond to ensure the ongoing delivery of quality, professional care to patients, carers and loved ones during this time.”
Calvary has provided specialised palliative care services to Canberrans since 1995, and hospice services at Clare Holland House in Grevillea Park since 2001.
Ms Stephen-Smith thanked Calvary for the support and care they have provided to people with life-limiting illness in the ACT and surrounding region over the last 28 years.
“Clare Holland House is named after an ACT nurse who provided decades of leadership in public palliative care. The Canberra community is rightly proud of the compassion, excellence and innovation that underpins the services delivered every day at Clare Holland House.
“The dedicated nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, volunteers, and support staff of Clare Holland House deliver a highly valued service that will continue through this transition and beyond.”
Clare Holland House staff will be invited to transition their employment to Canberra Health Services. The transition team will be onsite at Clare Holland House this week.
“I know this has been a difficult and anxious time for team members at Clare Holland House, as well as their patients and the community,” Ms Stephen-Smith said. “Canberra Health Services will be working hard in the coming days to support staff, patients and carers by providing information and answering their questions.
“Our commitment to Clare Holland House team members is that they will be able to continue doing the same job, in the same team, with the same manager on the same pay and conditions.”
All Clare Holland House team members are encouraged to make themselves known to the Transition Team as soon as possible by:
- Visiting www.act.gov.au/northsidehospital and complete an Employee Transition form;
- Calling the dedicated Transition Hotline for team members, suppliers, and contractors: (02) 5124 0400;
- Emailing [email protected]; and
- Visiting the Transition Team at the information kiosk which will be onsite at Clare Holland House from Tuesday 27 June.
