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| Annual Report |
| Review of 2005. |
 The one theme that underpinned all our activity for 2005 was delivering top quality care on time and within budget. An analysis of the finances for year the ending on 30th June is over the page and once again we achieved a small surplus (£60,000). The contribution from the Health Authority remains at about 26% of our running costs, which contrasts starkly with some hospices who have 60% of their running costs funded from government sources. We are just fortunate that the people and businesses of Harrogate District were so generous and made up the other £1.3m that it took to run the hospice.
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 Within the hospice the recurring theme is one of absolute care and top quality. Everyone expects that our patient care should be of the highest order, but it goes much further than that. Both clinical and non-clinical staffs, including volunteers, continuously strive to achieve the highest possible standards in everything they do; from the way visitors are greeted and the telephones answered, to the presentation of food, or cleanliness of the building and professionalism of all our fundraising activities.
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 The results of external examination by Quality by Peer Review and the Healthcare Commission confirm that Saint Michael's Hospice continues to provide services of the highest standard. The QPR benchmarking report shows that in almost every attribute measured, Saint Michael's was graded higher than the all-hospice average; indeed within the Strategic section we achieved 100% grades for communications, holistic care, the environment and risk management. The Healthcare Commission Report showed that of the 43 standards checked none were less than satisfactory; although 5 grades did move down due to minor problems (which we have now rectified), this was more than offset by grades in 11 other areas that had moved up one or more levels since the previous inspection. We are exceedingly proud that we achieved top scores against 4 of the standards which were in the areas of information provided to patients, drugs management and personnel management. Unannounced inspections have been carried out by the Healthcare Commission, and also by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Heather Parry and Trustee, Dr Pat Fryer; on each occasion they met staff, patients and relatives. All were impressed by the quality of care and professionalism of all the staff and this was reflected in the respective reports.
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 Clinical statistics show that 152 patients were admitted to our Inpatient Unit and the average length of stay was 12 days. Our Day Therapy Centre capacity was extended to 14 patients on each of 3 days and in total there were 1411 attendances, many of these with non-cancer diagnoses. Our Lymphoedema clinic now has 329 patients who attended 606 appointments during the year.
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 The team of volunteer Complementary Therapists continues to flourish; we now have 19 volunteers working in Day Therapy and In Patient Unit. They delivered over 550 treatments to patients, carers, staff and volunteers in the first six months of 2005 and are on target to reach approximately 1300 treatments in the full year. Another exciting development this year has been an initiative designed specifically for carers. A team of six members of the nursing team have trained in simple massage and aromatherapy so they can offer treatments to patients and carers who are visiting when the complementary therapists are no t working – usually evenings, nights and weekends. This has been a success in terms of demonstrating to senior hospice staff (who were used for practice) the skills they had learned and in adding to the quality of holistic care delivered by the nursing team. Their education has been funded by ‘Help the Hospices’, facilitated by an external tutor and their on-going supervision and support by the Complementary Therapies Leader.
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 Your hospice continues to provide the best possible care within the funds available.
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Directions
to Saint Michaels Hospice
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