Partnership between Banbury area charity - Katharine House Hospice - and NHS Foundation Trust approved

The partnership – plans for which were announced in November last year – will see the hospice’s clinical services transfer to be under the management of OUH with effect from Thursday April 1.

The boards of both organisations approved plans for the partnership following a period of due diligence and legal agreements have now been signed.

Katharine House Hospice, which celebrates its 30th anniversary later this year, hailed the approval as 'great news.'

Under the plans, people will continue to receive services in the same way as they do currently. It also means that the hospice will stay at Katharine House, which has been its home for almost 30 years, and the 10 beds in the Inpatient Unit would also remain in place.

Angharad Orchard, CEO of Katharine House Hospice, said: “I am delighted that we are able to progress this partnership for the community we serve because it protects the outstanding care that the hospice provides for our patients, their families and future generations.

“By working in partnership with OUH, our hospice services that people living with a life-limiting illness rely upon, will be strengthened for the long-term, creating a positive impact on future end of life care needs. This partnership will ensure our nurses, doctors, healthcare assistants, and supporting staff can continue to make a huge difference to so many people’s lives.”

Angharad added: “While this enables Katharine House to continue to put local people first, it is also important to stress that we will remain a charity, and we will still need to raise around £3m every year to help fund the hospice clinical services.

"The need for fundraising to support our hospice services will continue to be crucial, and our community is integral in helping us raise the funds that go straight to where they are needed most.”

Jason Dorsett, Executive Director lead at Oxford University Hospitals for the new partnership with Katharine House Hospice, said: “We are delighted to be working together in what is a new era of collaboration. The patients and the staff who care for them will benefit directly from this partnership, which ultimately means the best possible care for patients in Oxfordshire and beyond.”

Katharine House Hospice was founded in 1991 by Neil Gadsby, whose daughter, Katharine, died from cancer aged just 20. The hospice supports more than 900 patients, service users and their families every year.