Patients on film to dispel myths and fears
HALF a dozen day hospice patients have gone before the camera to discuss their feelings about the hospice.
That film is being made into a DVD to be distributed to referring agencies such as GPs and consultants, will be on the St Mary’s Hospice website and is being turned into mini films which the hospice is aiming to air on the YouTube website from this week.
Human resource and communications manager Diane Davies says the idea came from members of the patients forum.
“It is very much from the patients for patients,” she says. “A lot of them said they were frightened when they were told they were coming to a hospice and thought it would just be a dark and gloomy place.
“This allows them to dispel myths and fears for people who will be coming to the hospice.”
Funded by the Pan Birmingham Cancer Network and with a voiceover by BBC news presenter Nick Owen, a patron of the hospice, it also involved work by the two staff on the forum, Diane and head of nursing services Trisha Castanheira, along with IT co-ordinator Tony Colson.
* For more information on all of St Mary’s services see the www.bsmh.org.uk website.
