Hospice confirms U-turn thanks to unprecedented help

An "incredible" hospice will be able to offer 50% more beds from next year thanks to "unprecedented" support from fundraisers.

Prospect Hospice in Wroughton, near Swindon, had been reducing the number of people it could help amid funding cuts. But from January 2027, the charity will boost its capacity from six to nine beds.

James Wallace said the hospice was "incredible" while caring for his wife Becca when she died three years ago.

Hospice bosses said that the extra beds, which will cost £330,000 annually, are only possible after "unprecedented" support this year by fundraisers.

Wallace said his wife was one of only six people to have end-of-life care while she was at the charity in 2023.

"When we would walk down the corridor to visit her, it was heartbreaking to walk past empty rooms.

"Together with our two teenage daughters, we were all supported through the difficult time, and so it's incredible to know that so many more families will benefit from the care and love that we experienced from Prospect Hospice," added Wallace.

Clint Maddams said the hospice provided "amazing care" for his wife Angie, before she passed away in 2023 at the age of 56.

"As soon as you enter the doors, it's so positive. You enter, knowing what you have to face, but they're so welcoming," he said.

"It seemed like a home from home. We were able to spend the last few weeks of Angie's life being with her and making special memories, which we still carry today."

Hospice bosses announced in February that it was turning away six or seven patients a week due to a lack of funding.

Jeremy Lune, hospice CEO, said the charity is "incredibly grateful" to the people who have dug deep.

"It's taken three years of fundraising - through our shops, people buying lottery tickets or leaving gifts in wills - to get to this point," he added.

He warned the sector still faced difficulties, with inpatient care costing "over £1,000 a night per person," despite the government investing £125m nationally to improve hospice facilities.

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