End of Life Care transport is a service that St John Ambulance delivers with compassion and care for patients and relatives. With a holistic approach to caring and transferring patients nearing the end of their life, our experienced crews deliver our around-the-clock, every day of the year.

Specialist, highly trained staff

We have a long-standing, excellent relationship with North East Ambulance Service McMillan Engagement Team. All our crews receive joint training with North East Ambulance Service McMillan Engagement Team. This additional training ensures the care our crews deliver is of the highest standards and consistent with NHS End of Life Care services provided by the NHS. All our crew have the experience and knowledge to work effectively with multi - disciplinary teams. Taking a multi-disciplinary approach to patient care, we ensure that every patient receives the best possible care, tailored to their individual needs.

Specialist vehicles

Working together with families and loved ones, we have adapted our specialist ambulances.

This includes:

• Commissioned local artists to design local art for our ambulances. These offer a focal point to encourage memories to be shared and talked about, and allows a patient reminisce about their life experiences.
• Local arts and craft groups have produced items such as weighted lap blankets and ‘twiddle muffs’, which are especially appreciated by our patients with dementia. They have created knitted hearts that can be passed from patient to family during and after the journey, or if they when they are unable to accompany them.
• Blue tooth speakers enable a patient to listen to their favourite music whilst travelling. These were generously donated by a patient’s family.

Support for families and loved ones

We are very aware how challenging and emotional this service can be, so we do our upmost to support family and loved ones, as well as the patient themselves. We work closely with families and loved ones and have a robust feedback process. Often, crews will discuss if there are particularly special place that a patient would like to see for the final time. Our crews have taken patients to locations such as the beach, previous places of work and dance halls where the first buds of lifelong love blossomed.

Our crew will take whatever time is needed to complete a journey, so crews can spend as much time as necessary to ensure patient care and dignity is maintained. All crews will go above and beyond to ensure that the patients needs are met at all times.