Families spending precious time with loved ones in the final hours and days of life at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (The QEH) are being offered additional support through the introduction of new Comfort Boxes, designed to help make those moments feel calmer, more personal and better supported.
Funded by The QEHKL Charity, the boxes aim to ease some of the emotional and practical challenges families can face while keeping vigil, helping to create a gentler and more reassuring environment at the bedside.
Each Comfort Box includes soft mood‑lighting and a mini Bluetooth speaker, allowing families to create a soothing atmosphere with quiet music or familiar sounds. The boxes also include keepsake items such as ink pads for fingerprints and organza bags for holding a lock of hair, giving families the option to create meaningful mementoes if they wish.
For many families, these small keepsakes become cherished reminders, offering comfort and a tangible connection long after a loved one has died.
The introduction of the Comfort Boxes builds on the care already provided within The Peddars Way unit, The QEH’s purpose‑built end‑of‑life care facility.
Funded by The QEHKL Charity, Peddars Way offers a calm and tranquil space with five ensuite rooms for patients and their families.
However, as not every patient can be cared for within the specialist unit, the dedicated team there wanted to find a way to bring a touch of the same calm and reassurance to patients and families across the wider hospital.
The idea was developed by Katherine Spoelma, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Palliative and End of Life Care, whose experience of working on Peddars Way highlighted how much the environment around a patient can matter during this time. Drawing on what she had seen make a difference for families on the unit, Katherine wanted to extend that same sense of care and compassion beyond Peddars Way.
Katherine said: “The comfort boxes are designed to support the holistic needs of patients in their last days of life, along with their loved ones, by providing emotional, spiritual and physical comfort while encouraging memory making.
“They help bring a sense of the peaceful, homely environment of Peddars Way Unit to patients receiving last days of life care elsewhere in the hospital, offering small but meaningful items that personalise the bedside experience. By creating a more soothing environment and offering practical and emotional support, comfort boxes aim to make this time more compassionate and supportive for both patients and their loved ones.”
On average, around 100 people each month spend their final moments at The QEH, making compassionate, dignified end‑of‑life care an essential part of the Trust’s work.
Dawn Collins, Interim Chief Nurse at The QEH, said: “Caring for people at the end of their life is a privilege. We are committed to doing all that we can to make this difficult time as calm and tranquil as possible. These Comfort Boxes are such a special touch and shows the depth of kindness and compassion of the team here.”
The Comfort Boxes are currently being introduced as part of a pilot across wards and have been made possible through charitable funding from The QEHKL Charity, with Peddars Way continuing to be a much‑loved and well‑supported fund by the local community.
Emma Clark, Consultant Nurse in Palliative Care remarked: “We truly are thankful for every donation we receive. It allows amazing ideas such as Katherine’s to become reality. We are passionate about the care we give, allowing people to pass with dignity and comfort.”
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If you would like to raise funds for good causes or help an appeal at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, please take a look at our website www.qehklcharity.co.uk. Alternatively, please email our Charity team at Charity@qehkl.nhs.uk or call 01553 613309.
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About QEHKL Charity: QEHKL Charity plays a vital role in supporting The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn. The charity raises funds for medical equipment, research, services, and facilities that directly benefit patients and their families. With its support, QEHKL can provide high-quality care, expand services, and improve the hospital experience for those in need.
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