We are proud to have featured on BBC Politics London on Sunday, 18 October, highlighting the vital care we provide to patients and families in our community, and the need for sustainable hospice funding to ensure we can reach more patients and families who need our specialist care.
The programme explored the ongoing funding challenges facing the hospice sector across the UK. It also featured powerful testimonies from Terri Hill and Will Simpson, whose father has been cared for on our ward. They shared their experiences and reflected on the difference hospice care has made to their family from the very first day their dad was admitted.
Watch the programme on BBC iPlayer from 20 minutes into the show:
Politics London – 18/10/2026 – BBC iPlayer
Becca Trower, CEO, spoke to the BBC about the financial pressures facing the Hospice, including beds that remain empty because of the lack of funds needed to open them.
Becca said:
“We have a number of beds here in the Hospice that we aren’t able to open. We’re not able to staff them because we can’t afford to do so, and that’s one of our biggest frustrations. We know there are patients in corridors and hospitals who need care and are waiting for beds, and yet we have those beds but not the staff to be able to support them.”
St Raphael’s provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care, alongside vital support for families, completely free of charge. Like many hospices across the UK, we face ongoing financial pressures as we work to sustain these services for our community.
Behind every empty bed is a patient and family who may need our care. Sustainable funding is essential to ensure we can continue providing the specialist, compassionate support everyone in our community deserves.
We are incredibly grateful to BBC Politics London and reporter Helen Drew for helping raise awareness of hospice care and the urgent funding challenges facing our sector. We would also like to wholeheartedly thank Terri and Will for so generously sharing their family’s experience of hospice care and helping to highlight the difference it makes.
If you can, please consider donating to our Hospice. Every donation helps us continue providing vital care, comfort and support to patients and their loved ones when they need it most.