Prospect Hospice Highlights rising need for hospice care

The move comes amid the revelation that the annual death toll is expected to rise by 130,000 by 2040.

Prospect Hospice is joining the national conversation about the growing need for hospice care. 

The national initiative, This is Hospice Care, brings together over 140 hospices in England Scotland and Wales to highlight the critical importance of supporting hospices to meet future demands.

Carolyn Bell, Director of Patient Services at Prospect Hospice, said: “By 2040, the number of annual deaths in the UK is expected to rise by 130,000, with 90 percent due to natural causes. 

"If we don’t start planning now, the gap in hospice care could become very real.

"In Swindon and north east Wiltshire, the increase in demand will place unprecedented pressure on hospices, which already rely on support and funding from supporters to provide their services.

“This is why we’re urging people to consider leaving a gift in their will to ensure we can continue to support our community in the years to come.

“At Prospect Hospice gifts in wills are already playing a pivotal role in ensuring we can continue to provide hospice care for our residents. Last year alone, these gifts provided care to over 250 patients and their families. However, as future needs grow, so too must the support we receive.”

People can learn more about how they can support Prospect Hospice through a gift in their will at www.prospect-hospice.net/giftinyourwill or contact Millie Channon on 01793 816190.

Prospect Hospice is a charity providing end-of-life care to people 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and has been rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. 

The hospice provides all its services free of charge to patients and this is made possible thanks to generous donations from the community it serves which raises 75 percent of the £8.5million it costs each year to operate.

Patient support is delivered in a variety of ways, tailored to the needs of the individual. Specialist teams provide clinical, emotional and practical support to patients and their families delivered at the hospice in Wroughton, Swindon, and in people’s homes.

Prospect Hospice was founded in 1980 and serves a community of more than 300,000 people in Swindon and north east Wiltshire, including Royal Wootton Bassett, Marlborough and Pewsey, plus Lechlade and Fairford in Gloucestershire.