Hospice Isle of Man’s new partnership with the Dr Scholl Foundation will improve the island’s end of life care.

The charity has unveiled its Scholl Academic Centre, which is part of Hospice’s commitment to ’delivering what matters to you’ as outlined in its ’Much More Than A Building’ strategy.

Chief executive Anne Mills said: ’The ability of Hospice to offer greater choice relies on a number of things: the provision of quality palliative and end of life care training and education; the development of a flexible integrated palliative and end of life care service; and the innovation of new models of care.

’Creating the Scholl Academic Centre is fundamental to delivering our strategy and I am delighted that we have been able to move so quickly to being able to launch the centre.’

’The work we do here will have a positive impact on our community in the following ways: Academic research will allow us to develop and evaluate new models of integrated palliative and end of life care that better suit the needs of the people who use our service.

’Palliative and end of life care training for other health care professionals, carers and the people that matter most, will give our patients and service users more choice in where they receive their "Hospice Influenced Care".

’The learning and sharing of knowledge with local, national and international partners will allow our staff to develop their skills, and then share this knowledge with other key partners in the community.

’The creation of a more compassionate community on the island will mean that more people are supported to live independently.’

The centre is being mostly funded by the Dr Scholl Foundation through specific grant funding and will see the island’s Hospice sharing strategies with centres across the world.

Speakers at Friday’s launch included Health Minister David Ashford, Susan Scholl, a panel of international partners from Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland, Professor Sarah McGhee of Hospice Isle of Man and University College Isle of Man principal Jo Pretty.