DHU Healthcare is now taking on the running of the new Northamptonshire Palliative and End of Life Care Service (NPEoLC).
Bringing together four existing services, the not-for-profit, community interest company, will provide a full end of life, community based service to ensure patients and their families and carers can be looked after in the comfort of their own home.
DHU provides NHS services across the Midlands including primary, urgent, community and 111 care, with a history of providing a similar, Nursing Times award winning service in Derbyshire. The NPEoLC service will bring together the 24/7 Rapid Response, Hospice @ Home and the day and night care services to enable the team to visit patients 24 hours a day when required.
The service launches from 08:00 on 1st April 2026. DHU is working closely with the Northamptonshire ICB to ensure the service is fully integrated into the regional health system with the patients needs and those of their families at the centre of that care.
"Surrounded by loved ones..."
Kirsty Osborn is DHU Healthcare’s Director of Urgent and Emergency Care North, leading the service; she said: “The NHS has a long-term plan to give patients more of a choice about where they receive their care, which means looking at how we can provide hospital level care in people’s homes. We know from our Derbyshire service that for some end-of-life patients, their final days can be made very comfortable and supported at home or their place of care, an environment that is comfortable, familiar and where they are surrounded by loved ones at all times.
“Our teams can support that by being a point of contact for those families and carers if they have any queries, if their loved one deteriorates and they need advice and to let them know in a compassionate way what to expect in those final days.
“Talking about end of life can be a tough conversation but with us, our incredible team can help provide dignity and comfort in death. Palliative and end of life care is a last chance for families to be together; this service is there for them to ensure those final moments, under the most difficult circumstances, can be as peaceful and positive as possible.”
The team will support patients through home visits and over the phone support where appropriate, medical prescription and the provision of medical equipment at home with training. They will work closely with the patient’s other care providers, including their GP and social care professionals, to ensure the wishes and care needs of the patient and their family is respected at all times.
Pictured left to right above: Stuart Higgins (Operations Manager), Rebecca Smith (Staff Nurse), Amy Evans (Deputy Operations Manager), Debbie Oliver (Healthcare Assistant), Sharon Rose (Healthcare Assistant), Josphat Kadembo (Healthcare Assistant), Sara Doughty (Head of Service Development), Helen Whittaker-Gelsthorpe (Senior PA) and Kirsty Osborn (Director of Urgent and Emergency Care Derbyshire)