Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

08/05/2026

Our Chief Executive, Silas Nicholls, and Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Nursing Officer, Sarah Morrison, took time from their busy schedules to engage with colleagues and learn more about how our End of Life and Bereavement Champions support wards and departments across the Trust to deliver high-quality, compassionate end of life care.

During their visit, they joined CARING walk rounds and spent time with End of Life and Bereavement Champions, alongside colleagues from Critical Care, Ward 2B and Ward 24. Staff shared their experiences of providing holistic, person-centred end of life care. On Ward 24, Sister Sarah Willoughby, an End of Life and Bereavement Champion, highlighted the thoughtful use of knitted blankets offered to patients and families as a source of comfort.

Thank you to all our dedicated teams and End of Life and Bereavement Champions for their continued support during Dying Matters Awareness Week 2026. From impactful display boards, mortuary tours and CARING walk rounds that have encouraged open conversations about death, dying and grief, to the compassionate care provided every day, your contribution is greatly valued.

06/05/2026

🌟 A major boost for cancer care in Lancashire and South Cumbria

We’re proud to share that Lancashire Teaching Hospitals has installed a second next‑generation LINAC radiotherapy machine at Royal Preston Hospital — strengthening one of the region’s most advanced cancer treatment services.

This new machine means:

🔹More reliable treatment with fewer delays

🔹Even greater precision, helping protect healthy tissue

🔹Better preparation for future adaptive radiotherapy, which will allow treatment to adjust in real time

🔹Continued expansion of tattoo‑free treatment through surface guided radiotherapy (SGRT), already benefiting around 90% of patients

Alongside upgraded patient areas and ongoing community support, this investment helps us deliver radiotherapy that’s not only highly accurate, but also more comfortable and reassuring for patients.

💙 It’s all part of our commitment to providing safe, modern and compassionate cancer care for our communities.

Read the full story on our website ⬇️
https://www.lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk/news/article/880

06/05/2026

Thank you to our fabulous volunteers who have created these wonderful, hand-crafted hearts. These knitted hearts are shared with patients and their loved ones during their last days of life as part of our Connected Hearts initiative.

The Connected Hearts initiative is a simple but meaningful act of compassion at the end of life. Each pair of hearts is designed to be separated, allowing one heart to remain with the patient while the other is given to a loved one. This creates a tangible symbol of connection, love and an ongoing bond at time when words can be difficult to find.

Families often tell our end-of-life team that having something physical to hold brings comfort, maintains a sense of closeness, and supports memories during and after death.

During Dying Matters Week (4-10 May), our end-of-life team will be sharing these gift bags and supporting patients and their families to have those important conversations around death, dying and grief during their Caring Walk Rounds. You can find out more about Dying Matters Week on the Hospice UK website: hospiceuk.org

St Catherine's Hospice, Lancashire


Dying Matters

05/05/2026

It’s Dying Matters Week 2026 and our teams have been working hard to promote this important awareness week with patients and their families. Talking about death and dying is never easy and Dying Matters week aims to gently open up what can be a difficult conversation.

Our ward teams have been promoting Dying Matters Week with some wonderful display boards, including these brilliant displays from Ward 2B, Critical Care and Ward 11, helping to start and normalise conversations about death and dying with patients and their families.

The Dying Matters campaign is championed by Hospice UK, who are keen to promote an open culture in which we are all comfortable talking about death, dying and grief.

Death, dying and bereavement affect us all. 27% of people said they find it hard to talk about death with family or friends, and 30% bottle their feelings up. If we don’t talk about death and dying and bereavement, it can be harder to cope when we experience it.

You can find more information about Dying Matters Week Hospice UK website: hospiceuk.org

St Catherine's Hospice, Lancashire
Dying Matters

05/05/2026

Celebrating our Midwives this International Day of the Midwife 💙

Today we shine a light on the incredible midwives at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals - the people who bring compassion, expertise and unwavering continuity to every stage of pregnancy, birth and beyond.

This year’s theme, One Million More Midwives, highlights a global need - but our midwives remind us what’s at the heart of great care: relationships, trust and being there every step of the way.

From community midwives to specialist teams, from students to leaders, one message echoes throughout their stories:

✨ Continuity of care changes lives.
✨ Midwifery is a vocation.
✨ There’s no other job like it.

Whether it’s supporting high‑risk pregnancies, following families through multiple births, or guiding women from booking to postnatal care, our midwives show what meaningful, person‑centred care truly looks like.

To every midwife - thank you.

For your dedication, your compassion, and the pride you bring to this profession every single day.

05/05/2026

Being admitted to hospital with asthma can be frightening - and our Emergency Departments (EDs) are working hard to make that experience safer, smoother and more consistent for every patient.

At Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, our ED teams are:

✅ Embedding national asthma guidelines
✅ Identifying high‑risk presentations earlier
✅ Supporting safe, effective inhaler and systemic therapy use
✅ Ensuring patients leave with an asthma action plan and follow‑up
✅ Strengthening links with primary care and specialist teams

By improving guideline‑driven asthma care, we’re helping reduce avoidable admissions and supporting better long‑term asthma control.

A huge thank you to our ED, paediatric, respiratory, pharmacy, nursing, medical and allied health professional colleagues for everything you do.

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with a lung condition and want clear, practical advice, Asthma + Lung UK offers independent support and guidance:

Read more ⬇️
https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/have-you-just-been-diagnosed-lung-condition-were-here-you

02/05/2026

Some GP services will be available over the bank holiday.

If you have a health concern, contact your GP practice or use NHS 111 online or call 111 for urgent medical help.

➡️ 111.nhs.uk

01/05/2026

🌟 Have you or someone you love been affected by cancer? 🌟
Your experience matters — and your voice can help shape the future of local cancer care.

The Cancer Patient & Carers Forum is looking for new members. Whether you’re a patient, relative, or carer, this is your chance to make a real impact.

💬 “Influence the way local cancer services are organised”
💼 “Be involved in interviewing to help recruit the right professionals into the right jobs”

This monthly forum brings people together to share insights, improve services, and ensure that care truly reflects the needs of those who use it.

📩 Interested?
Email: cancercentre.info@lthtr.nhs.uk
📞 Tel: 01772 523709

Your voice can help change lives. 💚

30/04/2026

Don't forget to collect your repeat prescription ahead of the May Day bank holiday weekend, to ensure you don't run out of medication.

Some pharmacies may have reduced opening hours over the bank holiday.

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/pharmacies/

30/04/2026

30/04/2026

⭐ Join Us at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals 'Our Health Day'!

On 18th June we're inviting people with Learning Disabilities or Neurodiversity to come learn about their health and local hospital.

Our Health Day is a friendly, inclusive event for people with learning disabilities and/or autism, along with their families, friends and carers.

Come along to the hospital to meet the professional teams who support your health and wellbeing. There will be interactive stalls, easy‑to‑understand information, and hands‑on activities to take part in. You can ask questions, explore resources, and learn more about what happens in hospital in a relaxed, welcoming environment.

This is a chance to get to know staff, build confidence, and find out how we can support you to have the best possible healthcare.

We’ve planned the event in time slots to create a calmer experience and give everyone space to explore at their own pace.

Everyone is welcome – come and take part in Our Health Day.

🎟️ To book a place, please use the following link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lancashire-teaching-hospitals-our-health-day-tickets-1987900260191

📨 For queries, please email LearningDisabilityServiceLTH@LTHTR.nhs.uk