End of Life Service

An announcement from our chief executive

As you may know, our contract for our Extra Help at the End of Life team has been terminated, so our service will cease formally on 31st July 2024.

From Thursday 1st August, the service will be taken ‘in house’ by Marie Curie, the lead contract holder.  The decision was taken by Marie Curie to cease the contract, this with the support of the Integrated Care Board.  The decision was communicated to us in writing in January 2024.  Since then we have been working to ensure a straightforward handover of all responsibilities.

We are deeply saddened by this event.  We have provided this service for over 14 years, providing support to some 3,400 of the most deeply unwell patients each year, enabling them to die at home as comfortably as possible, supporting both them and their families.  We have built up our team of experienced and caring workers over many years and we know that our service is deeply valued and appreciated by those patients, their families and by many of our partners and fellow workers in this field.

At time of writing, we are completing the necessary TUPE transfer proceedings.  All is in hand and we hope that as many of the team will transfer to their new employer in order to ensure that the service will not be disrupted.

Please note, however, that from 1st August, this contract and this service will no longer be our responsibility. You can be assured that we have done everything we can to maintain the high standard of quality of our care to our patients, despite these changes, throughout the previous six months.

A personal message from Chris Duff to our Extra Help at the End of Life team

"It is rarely easy to say thank you and good-bye.  I feel it is especially difficult at this time given the challenges we are facing with the termination of the Extra Help at the End of Life contract and the hand over to Marie Curie at the end of this month – our last day being Wednesday 31st July 2024.  From Thursday 1st August the service will have been taken ‘in house’ by Marie Curie who will be responsible from then on.

We are ‘full on’ managing all the data for transfer, whilst fulfilling our obligation to maintain the service at our very high standards.  This leaves little or no time for reflection or ‘thank yous’ but we will do the best we can in the circumstances.

All of Age UK Northamptonshire - staff, volunteers and trustees - are deeply saddened by this event.  We fought very hard to keep this contract but were overruled.  We have provided this service for over 14 years and, under the very capable leadership of Su Brazell, have built up our team of experienced and caring workers over many years.  Our service is deeply valued and appreciated by patients, their families and by all the many other professionals who work in this field.  Each and every one of you who make up the Extra Help at the End of Life team has been crucial to a wonderful service, providing support to the most deeply unwell patients each year, enabling them to die at home as comfortably as possible, supporting both them and their families.  I was previously a chief executive of a Hospice and I know that what you do has been valued and appreciated – beyond words, and forever.

Thank you.  The whole of Age UK Northamptonshire wishes you well for the future, thanks you for your selfless work over many years and hopes that the best aspects of that work will be continued under your new employer."