Blythe House’s Roaming Car Service supports hundreds of people to spend their final days at home

A nighttime ‘roaming car’ in North Derbyshire has supported hundreds of people to spend their final days where they most want to be, at home, surrounded by family and friends.

Since its launch in June 2023, the Blythe House Hospice Roaming Car Service has been a lifeline for so many, supporting families during the night to provide comfort, reassurance, and care.
 
Operating overnight from 8pm to 8am, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and 24/7 at weekends, the service enables specialist nurses and healthcare assistants to visit people in their own homes when urgent needs arise. Whether easing pain, calming anxiety, or simply offering a listening ear, the team ensures no one faces those moments alone.
 
Dorcas Lydford, from Buxton, said: “The team stood beside us and didn’t leave until we were okay. I just remember thinking how lucky we were to have them.
 
“Without Blythe House’s support, I assume mum’s pain wouldn’t have been managed so quickly, and she would have suffered even more. The service was absolutely essential.”
 
Dorcas and her mum
 
Since its launch in June 2023, the service has supported 1,528 patients through 3,259 referrals.
 
The team provides care for end-of-life symptoms such as pain, breathlessness, restlessness, and anxiety, as well as administering medication, offering emotional support, personal care, catheter care and more.
 
Covering a vast rural area spanning the High Peak, Hope Valley, Derbyshire Dales, North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield, the service is staffed by a dedicated team of nurses and healthcare assistants.
 
On average, people have five emergency admissions to hospital in the last year of their life. By responding quickly to people overnight, the team helps avoid unnecessary ambulance call-outs and hospital admissions, keeping people where they most want to be, at home, surrounded by loved ones.
 
Salli Jones, from Chesterfield, said: “Mum needed the reassurance that dad was okay, and we did everything we could to keep him at home. That was so important to us as a family, and Blythe House helped us to achieve it.
 
“We’d lost our way before Blythe House came along, but they gave Pops a better end of life than we ever could’ve imagined and we’ll be forever grateful. Dad died peacefully at home in October 2024.”
 
 
Salli, Ben, and Jean
 
As winter approaches, the Roaming Car team remains committed to reaching families even in the toughest conditions. The cars are regularly serviced to ensure they are safe for snowy roads, and staff wrap up warm to deliver care whatever the weather.
 
Paula Elliott, Hospice at Home Nurse Manager, said: “I am deeply proud of the impact our Roaming Car Service has made since its launch.
 
“Every night, our team is ready to support patients and families when emotions are at their highest. To be welcomed into someone’s home in those delicate hours, to help provide care and comfort in the middle of the night, is a genuine privilege.
 
“It is an honour to witness how this service enables families to stay together, to share moments and make memories when the person they love is reaching the end of life.
 
“We’re here so that no one has to face that time alone, and so that families feel supported, valued and truly cared for in their own home.”
 
The Roaming Car Service works closely with GPs, NHS 111, and other healthcare professionals to ensure patients and families receive the care they need. Referrals into the service are typically made by a GP, district nurse, or community healthcare team, and urgent cases can also be directed through NHS 111 during out-of-hours calls. This approach means families are quickly connected to the right support, avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions.
 
Andrea Price, Care Co-ordinator at Thornbrook Surgery, said: “The Roaming Car Service has made a big difference to the quality of care our very poorly patients receive at the end of their life.
 
“We are in frequent contact with the staff running the service to ensure our patients get seamless care 24 hours a day.
 
“Patients and families are very complimentary about the care received and speak very highly about the Roaming Car Service.”