Motorbike meet up for palliative care patient brings joy to Boston’s Butterfly Hospice

A patient at the Butterfly Hospice Trust in Boston received an extra special care package this week as staff from Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) arranged a private motorbike meet up.

61-year-old Simon Robinson, a huge motorbike enthusiast, is receiving palliative care at the Hospice, after he was diagnosed with several aggressive brain tumours in April this year. The hospice works in partnership with LCHS and is supported by the LCHS nursing team.

LCHS Health Care Support Worker, Kath Hunt, arranged for Simon to be at the centre of a bike meet up, straight from his hospice bed, after they bonded over their shared love of motorbikes. The bikes pulled up at the hospice, and Simon was taken outside to enjoy the moment and have a chat with the riders.

Kath said: “I wanted to make some special memories for Simon and his wife, and just thought it would be nice thing to do. He was quite emotional, but he was so grateful. I’ve been chatting with him about it ever since and heard him talking to friends about it today.

“It’s important to me to get to know my patients and what their interests are so that I can deliver the best, most holistic care possible. Seeing how happy it made him made it so worth it.”

Not only is Simon a bike enthusiast, but in his younger days he would race motorbikes too.

Kim Robinson, Simon’s wife, said the team went above and beyond to bring joy to Simon and their family during extremely difficult circumstances. She said: “When I first met Simon he used to race motorbikes at Cadwell Park, it’s always been a passion for him. Then when we had our daughter, he downgraded slightly to a Ducati and would just enjoy leisurely track days, but he has always been a bit of a motorhead.

“When Kath mentioned about the meet up, I thought it was such a wonderful thing to do. I can’t put into words what it meant to Simon and our family. The team at the Butterfly Hospice have gone above and beyond for him time and time again. Nowhere matches this place and I wouldn’t want him to spend this time anywhere else.”

Staff members at the hospice came out in force to attend the meet up, even staff who were not due to work that day turned up to show their support and enjoy the time with Simon and his family.

LCHS and United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) Group Chief Executive, Andrew Morgan, said: “This is a wonderful example of how LCHS staff go above and beyond for patients every single day. Really understanding the needs of Simon and his family at this point in their journey shows just how personal the care from the team at the hospice is. I’d like to say a personal thank you to the team and to Kath for making this happen.”