Staff and patients who designed easy to read leaflets for Dorothy House Hospice, based in Winsley, were shortlisted in an international award scheme.

The Dorothy House team came third in the multi disciplinary teamwork category of the Internat-ional Journal of Palliative Nursing awards.

The leaflets were created by a clinician, graphic designer and three patients about four years ago. The first leaflet was about Dorothy House Hospice and others followed on the subjects of breathlessness, lymphoedema, complementary therapies and advance care planning.

The leaflets include symptoms and services.

At an awards ceremony in London, the Dorothy House team was placed third and were beaten by South London based St Christopher’s Hospice Care Home project and the Anglia Team ABC End of Life Care project.

Matt Carter, of Dorothy House Hospice’s communications department, said: “The leaflets have been well received by patients. They are used by the hospice at home team and in the day units. They came about because Denise Heal in our education team spotted there was very little out there about palliative care that was easy to read.”

Dorothy House Hospice Care supports about 800 families every day affected by cancer and other life threatening conditions.

Most of the care provided is in people’s homes but short-term, outpatient and day patient services are provided at the hospice.

The hospice has to raise more than £3 million a year to run its services.