This week is Hospice Care Week, a chance to celebrate the positive difference hospices make every day. The theme, Hospice care is more than you think, is one we see illustrated at St Raphael’s every single day.
Many people think hospice care mainly happens on a hospice ward, in the last days of life. In reality, it is so much more. Our specialist teams care for people wherever they need us – on our ward, in their own homes and out in the community.
“Sometimes that means managing difficult end-of-life symptoms, but it’s not just about medication. It’s also about doing everything we can to help patients live their final chapter with dignity and independence.”
Hospice care at St Raphael’s is about supporting patients to find joy in everyday life. It’s planning a wedding on the ward or helping a grandfather to dance with his grandchildren in his living room. It’s arranging a pizza delivery for a bedside party or helping a mother create fingerprint keepsakes for her young children. Patients we proudly support might be dying, but they still have a life to live.
But while demand for our vital care is growing in our community, funding is not keeping pace and the funding gap keeps growing.
“This year, St Raphael’s faces £353,000 in additional costs. This is due to higher National Insurance, NHS pay rises, and general inflation. Meanwhile, our NHS funding will rise by just £90,000 and so we must find a further £260,000 just to stand still.”
This new money can only come from our generous community or from further cost reductions and, with inflation still running at around 4%, these pressures will continue next year too.
The truth is, hospice care is only possible because of the generosity of our incredible community and the dedication of our staff and volunteers. During Hospice Care Week, I want to thank you all for everything you do and to ask for your continued support in helping us protect and grow our vital services for the future.
Because hospice care is more than you think, and it’s worth fighting for.