St Richard’s celebrates 20 years of 24/7 care in county’s only adult in-patient unit

A county charity is celebrating 20 years since it opened its purpose-built hospice building and Worcestershire’s first and only adult in-patient unit.

St Richard’s Hospice started welcoming patients and families to Wildwood Drive in Worcester in October 2006, transforming how local people receive care whilst living with an incurable illness and at the end of their lives.

Two decades on, the charity is celebrating the difference its 24/7 facility has made to thousands of families across Worcestershire.

Mike Wilkerson, Chief Executive of St Richard’s Hospice, said: “It’s almost hard to believe that twenty years ago we couldn’t offer the round the clock care that so many local families have since benefitted from.

“Supporting patients in their own homes across the county is still a huge part of the care we provide, but our In-patient Unit allows us to offer expert care and support when symptoms become too complex to manage at home.

“We’re proud to be marking 20 years of this type of specialist care, and we’d like to thank everyone across Worcestershire whose kind donations make it all possible.”

Katie Chambers is a Nurse Team Lead on the St Richard’s In-patient Unit and has been caring for patients and families since the building opened in October 2006. Katie said it is a privilege to be there for patients and their loved ones in their time of need.

“We are so fortunate to have this amazing facility here in Worcestershire, staffed by an incredible team, to make sure local people get the specialist care and compassion they deserve.

“Providing care 24/7 is so important because it’s often in the small hours that we are needed most. We have offered thousands of patients and their loved ones comfort throughout the night, being there, providing reassurance or a listening ear, easing their pain and their worries.”

The St Richard’s In-patient Unit provides care when the patient’s symptoms are most severe, with a specialist team of doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants who can bring comfort and dignity when it matters most.

Mark Whitehouse from Worcester was cared for on the St Richard’s In-patient Unit. Mark’s wife, Charm Whitehouse, said:

“After a long battle with pancreatic cancer, St Richard’s gave us the opportunity to simply be Mark’s family again. I’ll always remember, on arrival, a nurse saying: ‘you can be his wife again now’. It was a breath of fresh air to be given the opportunity to be present with my soulmate in his final weeks, knowing the care aspect was covered.

“The rest of the family – Mark’s daughter Zoe, and stepdaughters Laura and Bonny, his mum Rose and father George, and granddaughter Bea – all found relief in knowing his comfort was top priority, which is all you can ask for in those final weeks.

“We are forever indebted to the hospice for what they have given to us and to Mark.”

St Richard’s Hospice is an independent charity offering free, expert care for adults with an illness that cannot be cured, and support for their loved ones and carers.

Each year the hospice team supports more than 3,000 patients, family members and bereaved people in Worcestershire.

It will cost in the region of £12m to run the hospice this year, which includes patient care and all the necessary support services.

St Richard’s relies on voluntary support, including from donations, gifts in Wills, retail and events for the majority of its income with the remainder funded by the NHS.

For more information about St Richard’s Hospice visit www.strichards.org.uk