Staff from Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Hospitals Trust, Overgate Hospice and Calderdale Council have been shortlisted for an 'Oscar' more properly known as an Accolade Award for their work with Calderdale Council of Mosques centred on the South Asian community in West Halifax.
The group has looked at how to improve the low uptake of palliative and end of life care services amongst the South Asian community.
They investigated the reasons for this and a programme of two-way learning was established with the emphasis on explaining concepts of palliation and strategies of care to the community The group learned of possible ethical, cultural and religious concerns among the community.
Seminars at the Mosque included medical and nursing practitioners from the local Hospitals Trust and Overgate Hospice, as well as representatives of Calderdale Register Office and local mortuary staff. There were two study days at the Madni Mosque, which were well-attended as well as networked on community radio.
As a result of the work, there is an increased use of palliative care services by South Asian patients and their families.
George Spencer, the Trust’s co-ordinating chaplain and member of the Horizon Group, said:
"It is great to have such recognition for the work.
"What we have really stressed is that the learning goes both ways.
"We needed to find out what the perceived barriers were to the uptake of services as well as making sure the information practitioners wanted to put across was thoroughly understood. And we are really grateful to our friends at the Madni Mosque for making us so welcome and helping the days run smoothly.”
The Accolade Awards are considered to be the Oscars of the Adult Social Care world and the project comes in the ‘Most Effective Approach to Integrated New Models of Care’ category.
Winners will be announced at the annual gala event in London on Thursday, 1st March, 2018.
The Horizon Group comprises Hospital chaplains, Zeenat Hussain and George Spencer; Andrea Vickerman and Gillian Sykes from the Trust’s End of Life Care initiative; Karen Hagreen Clinical Educator in End of Life Care Overgate Hospice and Sail Suleman, Cohesion and Equality Officer, Calderdale Council.