History of hospice care

As part of their focus on the “History of Medicine”, which forms part of the GCSE History course, Year 10 GCSE History students at Pipers welcomed Margaret O’Donoghue to school today to talk to them about the history of hospice care.

Margaret is a state registered nurse who has worked in and around the health service since 1959, initially as a nurse and then health visitor. In 1981 she was a founder member of St Catherine’s Hospice in Preston.

In 1989, concerned by the insensitive manner in which the diagnosis of cancer was delivered, the lack of any support for cancer patients undergoing treatment, the absence of information regarding the disease and the exclusion of the patients’ families and carers from the process, Margaret determined to do something about it and single handed established a charity, Cancer Help. Cancer Help now provides 6000 patient visits/contacts each year and delivers a wide range of invaluable services to cancer patients in central Lancashire including specialist clinics, support groups and training.

Margaret began by speaking to the girls about hospice care, why it is necessary and the type of care that hospices can offer to patients that differs from the care that can be offered in a large hospital setting. She looked back to the beginnings of the hospice movement and the work of Dame Cicely Saunders who founded the first modern hospice in 1967 and, more than anybody else, was responsible for establishing the discipline and the culture of palliative care.

Dame Cicely once said “You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die.” This is the basis on which her vision of how a hospice should work was formed.

As well as focussing on the importance of the work of residential hospices, Margaret also discussed the benefits of home care in conjunction with the support of hospice staff and Macmillan Nurses. Speaking from personal experience of nursing members of her own family, along with her time as a community nurse, Margaret was able to provide first hand testimony of how families can be aided to look after their loved ones at home.

The girls were also encouraged to think about how hospice care has developed over the years, how institutions are funded and what things we can all do to give something back to society.

It was a truly inspiring session for the girls to hear about Margaret’s work and everything she has achieved over the course of her working life and beyond. It provided them with a fantastic opportunity to put their learning into context and build on the things they have been studying in the classroom.