The History of the Modern Hospice Movement
Palliative care developed out of the modern hospice movement which was begun by Dame Cicely Saunders who strated the first adult Hospice: St Christopher's Hospice in London in 1967. Her motivation for starting the service was to improve conditions for the dying and especially to provide better pain control. "Hospices" for the dying poor were run by churches and di exixt prior to St Christopher's but hardly provided medical care. Dame Cicely volunteered in one of these.
Palliative Medicine became recognised as a full medical specialty in the UK in 1989 under the Royal College of Physicians.
The History of the Children's Hospice Movement
The modern children's hospice movement was started in Oxford, England, by Sister Frances Dominica following an experience she had with a 2½ year old girl called Helen Worswick who suffered from severe disability following the removal of a brain tumour. Helen's parents, Jacqueline and Richard, wanted to look after her at home but found it was very draining. Sister Frances provided respite for Helen by taking her in to her own home.
Sister Frances and Helen's parents recognised that there was a need to provide respite care for the families anf for the children wtih life-limiting and life threatening illnesses and so worked on a plan to open a children's hospice, that was then named after Helen. Llike the founding of St Christopher's in London, the opening of Helen House became an inspiration for the establishment of several other children's hospices in Canada and Australia. Hospital based PPC programmes also started to develop in the 80s' at St Mary's Hospital in New York in 1985 and at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London in 1986.
History of Children's Palliative Care in South Africa - A Timeline
1982 Helen House openend in Oxford England.
1988 ACT was started by Sister Frances Dominica and Professor David Baum in the UK.
1994 Bloemfontein Children's Hospice started as part of Bloemfontein Hospice, together with training courses on pain and symptom management and bereavement in children.
1996 Cotlands Hospice opened its doors in Johannesburg.
1997 Mohau Centre opened in Pretoria as a residential care facility for children infected with HIV/AIDS.
1998 St Nicholas Children's Hospice (now Sunflower House Children's Hospice) opened in Bloemfontein.
2000 Ingwavuma Orphan Care (now Isibani Sithemba) started by Dr Ann Dean in northern KwaZulu/Natal.
2002 Founding of Children's Homes Outreach Medical Programme (CHOMP - now The Bigshoes Foundation) by Dr Michelle Meiring and Professor Gayle Sherman to address the needs of orphaned and abandoned children, especially those with HIV/AIDS.
2003 Opening of a children's ward at Hospice Wits in Houghton in partnership wtih CHOMP (now Bigshoes).
2004 The International Children's Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) was founded under the auspices of ACT.
2006 Joan Marston was appointed as Paediatric Palliative Care Portfolio Manager of HPCA wtih funding from The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund as chairperson of the ICPCN.
2007 Six children's palliative care pilot sites were identified and salaries and training for nurses funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Founding of Children's Hospice Soweto under the leadership of Barbara Campbell-Ker.
Seed funding from The True Colours Trust used to launch the ICPCN website. ICPCN's administrative bas moved to HPCA in South Africa and the employment of an International Information Officer based in South Africa.
The development of A Toolkit for Children's Palliative Care in Africa, launched at the HPCA annual conference in Cape Town.
Children's Pallaitive Care Ward opened by Grahamstown Hospice at Settlers Hospice in Grahamstown.
2008 With further funding from PEPFAR, the first HPCA Paediatric Palliative Care Officer appointed to assist with and monitor the deelopment of 18 HPCA children's palliative care sites in South Africa.
Butterfly House Community Children's Palliative Care Centre opened in Paarl, Western Cape under the leadership of Elizabeth Srimgeour.
2009 Appointment of a second HPCA Regional Paediatric Palliative Care Officer.
PEPFAR funding increased to support the development of 30 sites offering palliative care services to children .
First ever Children's Palliative Care Conference held in Africa through a patnership between CHI, HPCA and ICPCN. The conferences was held in Cape Town at the ICC from 14 - 16 September.
Publlication of the Oxford Textbook of Children's Palliative Care in Africa, edited by Dr Justin Amery, who had been the Medical Director of Helen House in Oxford and spent 2 years in Uganda, where he began a children's palliative care service.
Launch of the Beacon 3 Country Project led by Joan Marston and funded by The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund in order to create 3 centres of excellence at Mildmay in Uganda, PASADA in Tanzania and HPCA in South Africa.
2010 The Baobab Paediatric Palliative Care Virtual Resource Centre Launched
Appointment of 2 new staff members to assist with training of the paediatric educational programme.
A third paediatric officer appointed.
Publication of the new HPCA Standards including standards relating to children in each section.
A comprehensive children's palliative care assessment tool developed for use at sites working with children.
Publication of a Fact Book on Children's Palliative Care in South Africa.
