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About us - What is PATCH?

Patch is the first charity specifically to support 24/7 specialist palliative care for patients in Scottish hospitals. We will do this by funding hospitals to provide resources such as dedicated beds, staff, advisory services and research.

Most hospitals have access to specialist palliative care for only 25% of the week, namely Monday to Friday 9am–5pm.

It is not, at present, obligatory for hospitals to have specialist palliative care available on site 24/7. [1]

Imagine how much better patient care would be if all patients had skilled, specialist palliative care available twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. That’s what we aim to do.

could provide two sessions of complementary therapy.
£50
could provide ten sessions of physiotherapy to help patients go home.
£500
could provide palliative care pharmacy input for the hospital for two months.
£5000
could fund one PATCH bed staffed by a specialist palliative care team for six weeks.
£10,000
could provide a patient with care from a palliative care nurse for six months.
£25,000
could fund one PATCH bed staffed by a palliative care specialist team for one year.
£150,000

Skilled palliative care needs to be a core activity of all hospitals.

PATCH is dedicated to supporting hospitals to improve palliative care and ensuring patients receive high quality palliative care if needed, when they need it — 24 hours a day seven days a week.

  • Patients and families. We want patients and families to have confidence that staff will take the time to talk over what is happening and to help them and their families talk about further care.
  • Staff. We are addressing the need for more research about hospital-based palliative care, so that treatments and care can be based on solid evidence.
  • Hospitals. If symptoms and concerns are dealt with more rapidly, there will be fewer complaints about care and patients will be able to get home sooner (if they wish).

Board

  • Professor Sir Alfred Cuschieri MD FRSE FRCS

    PATCH Patron

  • Steven Thompson

    Director of Digital Services

  • Kate Forster

    Director

  • Dr Gordon Paterson OBE FRCPEdin

    Interim Chairman

  • Dr Pamela Levack FRCP

    Medical Director

  • Mrs Trudy McLeay MSc DCRR

    Secretary

Latest news

New charity profile highlighting achievements to mark 10th anniversary

PATCH has recently updated its charity profile to mark the 10th anniversary since it was founded.

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PATCH supporting Palliative Care nursing development 

PATCH Director and Palliative Care Lead Nurse Claire O'Neill talks to nurses who have received funding from PATCH about their experiences.

Read more