Birmingham Hospice launches 24/7 end-of-life support line

Birmingham Hospice is launching a 24/7 Specialist Palliative Urgent Response (Spur) to help patients, families and healthcare professionals access end-of-life and palliative care at home. The hospice says the service aims to fill gaps in out-of-hours provision and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions.

Birmingham Hospice is launching a new 24/7 service to help people access end-of-life and palliative care at home. The service is called the Specialist Palliative Urgent Response (Spur) and is reported to take calls from patients, families and healthcare professionals. The hospice said the service responds to long-standing gaps in out-of-hours palliative care and seeks to reduce pressure on emergency departments. Key details: - The Specialist Palliative Urgent Response (Spur) will operate around the clock and accept calls from patients, families and healthcare professionals. - The hospice said the service aims to help people remain in their preferred place of care and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions. - The service is reported to go live on Monday and is funded by the Macmillan Cancer Support end-of-life fund, delivered in partnership with the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board. Summary: Birmingham Hospice describes the 24/7 Spur line as a way to provide urgent palliative support and address gaps outside normal hours. The service is scheduled to start on Monday and will operate continuously from that date.