Richard Kitchen is a Consultant in Palliative Medicine with a long-standing connection to The Myton Hospices. During his training in 2011, Rich spent a year working at Coventry Myton Hospice, and later returned in 2015 to work at Warwick Myton Hospice. After a period away from the area, he re-joined the team at Coventry Myton Hospice from 2018 to 2021.

Reflecting on his time at Myton, Rich said:

I loved working at Myton. The team was excellent, from the staff to the patients and carers. I really enjoyed my time there.

Rich explained that training in palliative medicine involves a variety of settings, including inpatient units, community clinics, home visits and hospital wards. As part of his training, he worked across multiple hospices in the region, gaining a broad perspective on hospice care.

Now, Rich is taking on a 184-mile cycling challenge to raise awareness and funds for the hospices he’s worked with throughout his career. His route will take him to LOROS Hospice, St Giles Hospice, Douglas Macmillan Hospice, Compton Care, Marie Curie Solihull, Warwick Myton Hospice and Coventry Myton Hospice.

Rich is hoping to raise £2,500 through his bike ride, but for him, the challenge goes beyond fundraising. His primary goal is to shine a light on the funding crisis many hospices and palliative care teams are facing.

Rich added:

Of course, raising money is part of it, but my main aim is to raise awareness. Hospice funding just isn’t where it needs to be. Many hospices are facing deficits and being forced to make difficult decisions, including cutting services – all while demand for palliative care is increasing due to an aging population and more complex conditions.

Death is something you can’t do twice – you don’t get a second chance to get it right. We need to offer people the best quality of life at the end of their life, and that means having comprehensive, well-funded palliative care services. More funding is needed to allow this.

Through this challenge, Rich hopes to encourage more people to recognise the vital role hospices play in their communities.

I want people to understand the importance of hospice care, and that this is a national issue. All the hospices I’m visiting are facing similar financial pressures, yet the work they do is absolutely essential. We need to support these services now, more than ever.

Marc Dwyer, Challenge Events Lead at The Myton Hospices, said:

We are incredibly grateful to Rich for not only taking on such a huge physical challenge, but for using it as a platform to shine a light on the importance of hospice care and the serious funding challenges hospices across the country are facing.

We are a charity, not the NHS, just 17% of our funding comes from the NHS. This year, we need to raise £12.7 million of the £15.3 million it costs to continue providing our services free of charge to our patients and their loved ones.

“Thank you, Rich, for your passion, commitment and dedication to hospice care.

Find out more about Rich's bike ride and donate HERE!

Did you know…? The Myton Hospices is a charity, we are not the NHS, just 17% of our funding comes from the NHS. This year we need to raise £12.7 million of the £15.3 million it costs to continue providing our services free of charge to our patients and their loved ones.

Give the Gift of Hospice Care and make a donation to Myton HERE!