Partnerships

St Christopher's is committed to working in partnership to improve the quality and provision of hospice care, both in the UK and overseas.

We cannot hope to meet all the needs of our community alone, but by working in partnership we can go much further.

• We run training courses for care homes (over 120 homes have participated so far).
• St Christopher's doctors work in local hospitals, such as Croydon and Princess Royal University Hospitals. 
• St Christopher's clinical nurse specialists work closely with the 300 GP practices in our catchment area encouraging them to bring their teams together regularly to review their patients end of life care needs.
• St Christopher's is a proactive contributor to NHS strategy and has a seat on the department of health end of life care strategy implementation board.
• We partner with Cicely Saunders International to provide a world leading Masters programme in palliative care and policy training international leaders of palliative care.
• We work with the Metropolitan Police to help victims of accidents and crime.  The Candle Children's Bereavement Project assists with the training of policemen and women responsible for families after traumatic events, like murder, suicide and disaster.  The Paddington rail crash in 1999 led to this unique partnership. The project also works closely with local schools when children are experiencing bereavement.
• We are working closely with King's College, London, and others to disseminate best practice in the training and development of volunteers and their contribution. 
• Our research programme brings us partnerships with many organisations.  Our depression study in partnerships with the Maudsley Hospital is the largest so far in the UK and has produced important thinking.
• Joint projects with our local authorities and PCTs are addressing improvements in patient care including work with dementia and heart failure.
• We are committed to sharing innovative good practice and responding to changes in the NHS agenda.  We recently trained over 200 adult social care staff from Southwark and Lambeth as part of the department of health pilot being evaluated by the University of York.
• We have partnered with over 40 local schools to bring children and young people together with hospice patients to dispel myths about death and dying.
• In partnership with the Institute of Psychiatry we have conducted the first randomised controlled trial into cognitive behavioural therapy in end of life care.
• We host a faith leaders forum to build relationships and advise faith leaders on end of life care issues.