Hospice UK fights for hospice care for all who need it, for now and forever. We champion the 200+ hospices across the UK. Follow our campaign
@dyingmatters
.
Hospices are cutting services - beds closed, community services cut back, vital hospice staff made redundant at a time when their work is needed more than ever.
This can't continue. Write to your MP now and show them how much hospice care matters 👇
"It is a privilege to welcome Her Majesty to open our facility and show how we continue to flourish.”
@Thameshospcare
had a lot to celebrate today with a visit from Her Majesty, The Queen, to open their new, state-of-the-art 28-bed facility:
@RoyalFamily
We are proud to be collaborating, alongside
@stonewalluk
, with
@GIRESUK
on the ‘Being Ready’ project set up to address the needs of trans, intersex and gender diverse people during all stages of dying, death and bereavement.
Get involved here:
We want to wish The Duchess of Cambridge a very Happy Birthday! We remember the amazing support when speaking with frontline workers about the mental health impact of COVID 19 and why it's vital they're able to reach out for support:
@KensingtonRoyal
“Hospice UK is delighted that the Government is providing £200 million of funding per quarter to
#hospices
to help support the NHS and respond to the COVID-19 emergency.” Our response to today's announcement by
@RishiSunak
:
Do you need to talk? If you're NHS, care sector staff or an emergency service worker we're here for you.
📞 Call 0300 303 4434 (free, 8am-8pm every day)
📲 Text FRONTLINE to 85258 (free 24/7)
@GiveUsAShout
💻 for info & support from
@OurFrontlineUK
"You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life." 100 years ago today, Dame Cicely Saunders was born. Today, we remember, and celebrate, the founder of the modern
#hospice
movement
#Cicely100
#ThankYouCicely
#CSCentenary
"It is a tremendous privilege to take the chair of arguably the most important charity working in this area." Read more from our incoming chair, Robert Peston (
@Peston
) as we announce today that he will be our new Chair, effective from November:
#hospice
"HRH took time to talk with our staff and many people we support, I know that meant so much to everyone.”
@MountbattenIW
welcomed Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, showing the progress made within the hospice sector in the last decade:
@RoyalFamily
"Hospices will run out of this within days. They’re already having to ration supplies, which means we’re putting our staff at risk, and it also means we’re putting people in the community at risk." Our CEO
@TraceyBleakley
highlights the problem for hospices in accessing
#PPE
EXCLUSIVE: Hospices will run out of PPE “within days” as they‘re denied access to govt supplies. Unlike hospitals and care homes, they are not included in NHS supply chains and many can’t afford to buy their own as prices of PPE sky rocket. The full story:
"Everybody who dies is somebody's father, mother, sister, brother. To appreciate the enormity of what we're living through we need to try and hold that in our heads."
@doctor_oxford
speaks to
@DyingMatters
about her new book - Breathtaking: Inside the
#NHS
in a time of pandemic.
We are proud to be collaborating, alongside
@stonewalluk
, with
@GIRESUK
on the ‘Being Ready’ project set up to address the needs of trans, intersex and gender diverse people during all stages of dying, death and bereavement.
Get involved here:
Trans & gender diverse people often experience barriers to health & care services at
#endoflife
. Our new report highlights needs & sets out recommendations to make sure trans communities feel safe & included when they most need it.
Read full report:
It takes 40,000 staff. More than 125,000 volunteers. It's free, but it's not cheap. Most of all, it's essential, and very special. Today is the start of Hospice Care Week. This is what it takes to provide hospice care:
#HospiceCareWeek
#WhatItTakes
Today is the start of Hospice Care Week. It's our chance to highlight the extraordinary work of more than 200
#hospices
across the UK, and the care, support and love they give to more than 200,000 patients, carers and families.
#HeartMyHospice
:
#hospice
"The
#NHS
is not populated by angels or heroes, we're just ordinary human beings, like everyone else, but doing extraordinary things because we needed to."
@doctor_oxford
speaks to
@DyingMatters
about her new book. Read more at
"I can't thank Rick enough for giving me the tent to start and saying for me to have this adventure."
We are delighted that
@TheBoyInTheTent
has received an invitation to the King's Coronation. Take a look at his incredible story. 👇👇
@RoyalFamily
@NDevonHospice
Today is the 102nd anniversary of the birth of Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern
#hospice
movement. She continues to be an inspiration
#HospiceCare
#peolc
Today is International
#HelloMyNameIs
Day, a celebration of the campaign for more compassionate care in memory of the amazing Dr Kate Granger MBE. We are proud to support this day which reminds us that the small things can make a huge difference.
"The most important thing to know is that everyone is there doing their utmost for you - caring for you and trying to make sure that you're not frightened and you're not alone."
@doctor_oxford
speaks to
@DyingMatters
about life in the
#NHS
during Covid19:
"A beautiful fable, an 'It’s a Wonderful Life' for the modern age - impossibly timely when we are all stuck in a world we wish could be different."
Today is
#NationalReadingDay
. The Midnight Library by
@matthaig1
is available at 📖
A massive
#SaturdayShoutout
to all amazing hospice workers, who have worked tirelessly through this crisis to ensure people get the care they need.
Together, we’ll make it through this: 🌻
“I didn’t lose Clare – she died. We’ve got to be clear about that. Passing. Losing. Slipped away. Please… We have to be able to speak death." A moving interview in the
@guardian
from actor Greg Wise about his sister:
#DyingMatters
#WhatCanYouDo
We're very pleased to welcome
@CMO_England
to
#HUKConf23
this morning.
Professor Whitty is sharing his thoughts on how scientific advances and demographic shifts will change the landscape of palliative and end of life care in the coming decades.
Insufficient funding means many hospices are struggling to keep up with inflation and rising costs.
This must change so hospices are able to continue to provide their vital services for dying people now and in the future.
Thank you
@BBCr4today
for raising this important issue.
"Two-thirds of hospice funding comes from charity. Is that the mark of a civilised society?"
@amolrajan
asks Health Secretary Victoria Atkins, who tells
#R4Today
about a £600m investment into social care, and says the government would like money 'spent as well as possible'.
"A truly beautiful book about death and life and the price of love. Told by a doctor, with compassion and wisdom. I cried, but they were warm, comforting tears."
Today is
#NationalReadingDay
. Dear Life by
@doctor_oxford
is available at 📖
A massive
#SaturdayShoutout
to all amazing hospice workers, who have worked tirelessly through this crisis to ensure people get the care they need 🙌 🙌 🙌
Together, we’ll make it through this:
A hearty congratulations to Professor Bee Wee, National Clinical Director for End of Life Care who has received an CBE in this year's
#NYHonours
🥂 for her dedication to improving end of life care for NHS patients and their families.
A heartfelt thank you from the Duchess of Cambridge
@KensingtonRoyal
to frontline workers and staff at our Just 'B' helpline, providing mental health support to those on the frontline. Watch the full conversation at
#frontlineworkers
#nhs
#mentalhealth
Max, aged 11, has slept outside in a tent for 365 days in memory of two family friends and has raised more than £500,000 for the
@NDevonHospice
. "I've raised over half-a-million pounds now - it's absolutely mad."
Read more at 💛🌻
@mrjamesob
James, we're all thinking of you and your friend's family today. We're thankful that hospice care was able to make a difference. From everyone at Hospice UK, a huge thank you for your kindness and generosity, it means so much💛
We're coming to the end of a working week like no other for many of us. We just want to say we're so proud to be the national charity for a
#hospice
movement that's doing extraordinary things across the UK, during this difficult time. Stay safe
When we care for someone at the end of life, we only get one chance to get it right. But every day, 335 people don’t get the compassionate and expert care they need. Everyone should have the right to
#hospice
care. Help
@HospiceUK
#OpenUpHospiceCare
:
Only 12 days left until Parliament has a crucial debate on hospice funding.
Hospices are the backbone of compassionate end of life care, yet they're in urgent need of increased funding to sustain their vital services.
To help shine a spotlight on our Hospices I am delighted to have secured a debate in the
@HouseofCommons
on the 15th April.
I hope all MPs with a Hospice in their constituency will attend.
@hospiceuk
This Sunday evening we'd like to pay tribute to everyone working in
#hospice
and
#palliativecare
who are making such a big difference to many people's lives.
Morning! It's a huge week for everyone involved with Hospice UK, as
@DyingMatters
gets underway.
#WhatCanYouDo
to start the national conversation about death, dying and bereavement? It should be an incredible week of events
#DyingMatters
ICYMI | Our Chair Robert Peston is determined that hospice and palliative care is more widely known and understood. Watch this short video to see why he is such a champion of the
#hospice
movement and why he wants to
#OpenUpHospiceCare
"It should be a basic human right to die with comfort: and yet, according to Hospice UK, of the half a million who die each year, 100,000 are not given the vital care they need." Powerful article from
@OwenJones84
in today's
@guardian
:
#Hospice
#peolc
Today is
#InternationalNursesDay
, and the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale. Right now,
#hospice
nurses are on the frontline during the
#Coronavirus
pandemic and helping more than 225,000 people receive end of life care. All we can say is thank you 💛
"A shining light to families in their darkest times."
#ChildrensHospiceWeek
celebrates the inspiring work of nurses, doctors & many others. Their work can very rewarding - but take an emotional toll too.
So a huge thank you
@KensingtonRoyal
, for a powerful message of support.
On behalf of parents and carers across the country, I would like to say a huge thank you to all those working in Children’s Hospices. You are a shining light to so many families in their darkest times and your efforts do not go unnoticed.
Across the UK there are 40,000
#hospice
staff working to ensure more than 225,000 people and families get the
#hospice
care they need every year. That work doesn't stop. They are a vital part of their local communities and we're proud to be the national charity
#HospiceHeroes
A heartfelt thank you from the Duchess of Cambridge
@KensingtonRoyal
to frontline workers and staff at our Just 'B' helpline, providing mental health support to those on the frontline. Watch the full conversation at
#frontlineworkers
#nhs
#mentalhealth
“Hospices provide essential, end of life care but are considered, in regard to energy bill relief, as businesses.”
Thank you
@timfarron
for raising the issue of UK hospice energy bill increases. We must keep talking about the devastating effects this has on vital services.
"How you die is determined by where you live, surely we're better than that" -
@RachaelMaskell
MP.
The variation in hospice funding isn't right. We urgently need a new funding model for end of life care so hospices are able to provide timely and compassionate care.
Today is
#WorldKindnessDay
. Kindness is something
#hospices
provide in huge quantities every single day, especially during the
#Coronavirus
pandemic. We're enormously proud to be the national charity for hospice, palliative and end of life care
#peolc
Dying Matters Awareness Week starts today 💛
Patricia, Mumtaz & Lucy add their voices to this animation exploring the power of language at the end of someone’s life.
👉 Please help share this post. Thank you.
#DMAW24
#TheWayWeTalkAboutDyingMatters
@NLondonHospice
"You matter because you are you, and you matter until the end of your life." Today is
#InternationalWomensDay
. It's a day where we celebrate the inspirational women, like Dame Cicely Saunders, who have done so much for hospice and end of life care
#IWD2022
#BreakTheBias
It's 4 years to the day since the inspirational Dr Kate Granger died. On International
#HelloMyNameIs
Day, we remember her work and the legacy she left. This video, which she recorded with
@DyingMatters
in 2014, says it, in her own words, much better than we can
How hospices go the extra mile. When Janet discovered her cancer was incurable, she had one wish - to marry her partner, George. And thanks to the
@nhsfife
Victoria Hospice, they've been able to do just that. Many congratulations to the happy couple!
Hospice UK is deeply saddened by the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He was a great supporter of many charities including the hospice movement. Our condolences go to Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family at this difficult time.
"Part of getting on with it is making these calls and processing in a safe space."
Tony from the Just 'B' helpline, speaks to the Duchess of Cambridge
@KensingtonRoyal
on why it's more important than ever for
#frontline
workers to reach out for support.
In the last 12 months, more than 200,000 patients, and their carers, families and friends, have been cared for or supported by their local
#hospice
in the UK. And that's only possible because of the incredible support of millions of people across the country
#YouMadeItHappen
Just under 53 years ago, Dame Cicely Saunders opened
@StChrisHospice
and the modern
#hospice
movement began. We never forget. On
#InternationalWomensDay
we remember Dame Cicely and all the other pioneers who make us so proud to be part of an incredible movement
#IWD2020
Insufficient funding means hospices are struggling to keep up with rising costs.
We've calculated that England’s adults’ hospices have faced a real-terms cut in their Government funding of £47m in the past 2 years.
Find out more from
@TobyHPorter
:
Today is
#InternationalNursesDay
. There are thousands of
#nurses
working across the UK to ensure that people get the hospice, palliative and end of life care they need. We at Hospice UK are in awe of everything you do for the
#hospice
movement
#IND2019
#NursesDay
NEWS | We are delighted to announce the appointment of Toby Porter as our new Chief Executive. Toby will assume his role in mid-September, at a key moment for hospice and end of life care nationally following the changes brought about by the pandemic.
Episode 2 of the new series of the
@DyingMatters
#podcast
is available to download and listen to - in this episode, presenter
@emhmconnell
is in conversation with the inspirational
@GaryScribbler
, and how his 'Doodle a Day' has helped him and his children
Ian Smith rode his horse Pepper every week until motor neurone disease prevented him. He's now an inpatient
@PendlesideHosp
. And thanks to the
#hospice
team, and the local equestrian centre, his family were able to arrange for Pepper to pay Ian a visit:
"We need to raise awareness of the benefits of palliative care services for patients with terminal non cancer illness." Hugely interesting research published this week via
@bmj_latest
from a study carried out in Canada:
#peolc
#PalliativeCare
It's
#InternationalWomensDay
. We're proud to be the national charity for a modern
#hospice
movement led by one of the most inspirational women of the 20th century, Dame Cicely Saunders. Her passion continues to drive us forward today
#BalanceforBetter
#IWD2019
We believe that everyone should receive high quality end of life care, no matter who they are. Today we're launching a new report looking at trans & gender diverse experiences of
#endoflife
care, with recommendations to improve care for all. (1/3)
"We are very much looking forward to showing the Duke the remarkable and life-changing work of Acorns." As part of the 30th birthday celebrations for
@AcornsHospice
, a visit by royal appointment later this month, by the Duke of Cambridge:
@KensingtonRoyal
"Matt Hancock’s suggestion... is a fantastic way for our country’s football heroes to support their local community." Our CEO
@TraceyBleakley
, responding on today's call by
@MattHancock
for footballers to support the
#hospice
movement:
#ScoreForHospices
#WeAreHospiceCare
We are nurses, doctors, social workers, volunteers, cleaners & therapists.
We provide compassionate care for people at the end of their lives & support for those left behind.
Celebrate an incredible hospice workforce with us – today, we launch
#HospiceCareWeek
For most of us, the festive season is a time to stop, and spend time with family and friends. But over the course of the next 9 days, hundreds of staff and volunteers will ensure
#hospice
care is there for thousands of people and their loved ones. They are
#HospiceHeroes
Thanks
@Ashgate_Hospice
for joining us on
@BBCBreakfast
to speak up for the hospice sector as it faces a £77m deficit.
We need a new funding model for hospices – the cost of not supporting them would be devastating for patients, families, staff, communities and the NHS itself.
'We know what care we can deliver but we want to deliver it to more people'
Claire Shaw from Ashgate Hospice spoke to
#BBCBreakfast
about the financial crisis facing many hospices
The Hospice UK National Conference starts tomorrow – keep an eye out for insights and highlights we will share over the next few days on our channels.
For more regular updates, join the conversation here
@hospiceuk
.
Don't forget to tag us in your own posts & use
#HUKConf23
Alongside The Queen, many members of The Royal Family have supported hospices and the care they provide, highlighting their work and bringing it to wider attention. [1/2]
#PlatinumJubilee
We're delighted to learn that Professor Bee Wee has been awarded the Presidential Medal at the fourth Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony of the European Society for Person Centred Healthcare. Congratulations! We'll have more about it on
@ehospicenews
tomorrow