Spotlight: St Wilfrid’s Hospice - 35 years of expert care & compassion

By Andrew Porsch

St Wilfrid’s Hospice - 35 years of expert care & compassion

St Wilfrid’s has been your local community hospice delivering expert care and compassion since 1987, caring for the local community with the passionate belief that everyone should be able to live well until the end and die with dignity. Anyone who is living with a life-limiting or terminal illness can be referred to St Wilfrid’s Hospice care for symptom management, social groups, inpatient care, bereavement support and more. Over 20,000 local people have been referred to St Wilfrid’s over the past 35 years. With at least two loved ones also receiving support for every patient seen this equates to over 60,000 people in our community helped by

St Wilfrid’s since they first opened their doors. That’s enough to fill the O2 stadium three times over. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, the charity was looking towards the future. Building a brand-new Hospice in Bosham near Chichester in 2019, after over five years of fantastic community fundraising. Equipped with state-ofthe-art facilities, 14 en-suite bedrooms on the inpatient ward and a base from which the Hospice Community Team can provide care in people’s homes, its clever design helped ensure St Wilfrid’s could continue to keep its services open to those who needed it throughout the pandemic. At any one time St Wilfrid’s are supporting over 325 people, the majority in their own home. Due to COVID and its ongoing consequences on the wider healthcare community, there are more people with later diagnoses who need St Wilfrid’s Hospice’s care. Much younger people who have been diagnosed with terminal disease, and people who have not been able to access their healthcare appointments. This has increased the Hospice team’s caseload by 40% in the community, with more people being seen at a point of crisis.

The pandemic means the Hospice’s care teams have never been so busy caring for local people who need them, and as an independent local charity they need your support to continue to provide care. The care costs of the Hospice are paid for in part by an NHS grant, however the majority of the £8.3m annual costs are met thanks to the generosity of

fundraisers, donors and shoppers. Alison Moorey, Chief Executive for St Wilfrid’s Hospice, “We know that our catchment area population is growing and ageing, and in West Sussex the number of people over 65 will rise from 200,000 to over 300,000 by 2043. We aim to ensure that our services are available to all in our community, but we need your help to ensure we can be there for you, your friends, family and neighbours in the future”. You can Make Double the Difference and be a Hospice Hero . People in our local community with life-limiting and terminal illness need your help.

The immediate threat of the COVID-19 pandemic may be receding, but St Wilfrid’s Hospice nurses, doctors and care teams are dealing with the aftermath of the biggest challenge they have seen in their 35year history. The Hospice clinical teams are supporting more patients in crisis and younger patients with complex treatment needs. These far-reaching effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will impact the lives of so many in our community for months and years to come. To mark the charity’s 35th year, the St Wilfrid’s team are holding an exciting fundraiser this Summer, and we need you to be part of it.

Every pound donated will be DOUBLED by the Hospice’s generous sponsors during the 35-hour charity fundraiser on 3rd – 4th July! You can become a Hospice Hero by asking your friends, colleagues and family to donate, helping to spread the word in our local community and make an even bigger difference to local lives. Sign up to be a Hospice Hero today at www.charityextra.com/stwilfrids/signup .

Sandra Sedgwick – St Wilfrid’s Hospice founding member : “From what seemed an impossible dream over 35 years ago to what we have now proves the dream of a more caring and cared for community can come true. With a wonderfully passionate care team at St Wilfrid’s Hospice we now have a purpose-built Hospice in Bosham with which to provide ever more fantastic treatment options to improve the quality of life of so many. Over 50% of the patients St Wilfrid’s see visit to receive specialist symptom management and quality of life treatments so return home again to live their lives in greater dignity and confidence. Far from being a place of sadness the overwhelming feeling is one of sincere gratitude. No matter how big or small a donation you can make every penny counts when making moments that matter.” – Sandra Sedgwick, Vice President for St Wilfrid’s Hospice and one of the original founding doctors.