About St Richard's Hospice Foundation
St Richard’s Hospice, an independent Worcester charity, serving a population of 288,000 in South Worcestershire, was established in 1984 to provide palliative care to improve the quality of life of those suffering from cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.
Palliative care is best described as ‘whole person’ care, responding to the needs of the patient and family.
Care is provided by a core team of highly trained clinicians and specialists supported by trained volunteers. The patients come from a range of age groups. All of these services are provided completely free of charge.
St Richard’s needs to raise £3.3m in 2007 to provide its current services, as well as working towards its future plans and depends greatly upon donations from the general public and trusts to achieve this.
It also relies on the contribution of more than 600 volunteers, who give 2,500 hours per week of their time.
One in three of the adult population will be affected by cancer during their lifetime and St Richard’s has always responded to increasing demands, caring last year for more than 1,000 patients and their families. This represents 60 per cent of patients who die from cancer in their area.
Support is given through:
- An In-patient unit with 15 specialist palliative care beds
- Home Care Team of clinical nurse specialists supporting 850 patients at home through 6,000 hours of visiting time each year
- Day Hospice, four days a week with over 2,300 attendances providing companionship, respite medical support
- Counselling, Social Work and Bereavement Support for family members, including children
- Snowdrop Clinic for young women living with cancer
- 24 Hour On Call Advisory Service for patients and their families
- Education and Resource Centre providing training programmes for health Care professionals and others involved in the care of the terminally ill
Our history
St Richard’s Hospice was founded in May 1984 in Droitwich, taking its name from Richard de la Wyche, who was born there in 1197 and who was declared a Saint in January 1262.
Initially operating from the home of Dr Jenny Bulman, Honorary Medical Officer, the Hospice moved a year later to Castle Street in Worcester.
Originally founded as St Richard’s Hospice at Home, in 1985 it merged with the Good Shepherd Hospice Group from Malvern, when the name changed to St Richard’s Hospice Foundation.
Home Care services started in 1984, followed by Day Hospice in 1987 and the beginnings of an educational programme in 1988.
As the organisation grew, so did the need for larger premises and the move to the present Rose Hill Hospice was made and opened officially by Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales in May 1992. It was registered under the Nursing Homes Act in January 1992.
In October 2006 St Richards moved to a state of the art hospice which cost £5.25m to build and providing 15 specialist palliative care beds, completing the circle of care.
Serving the South Worcestershire population of 288,000, the catchment area covers Worcester, Malvern, Droitwich, Pershore, Upton upon Severn, Broadway and Evesham.
St Richard’s is run by a council of twelve governors.