Our Chief Executive, Ruth Freeman, joined hospice leaders at the House of Lords to discuss the funding and workforce challenges facing hospices across the UK, while sharing what makes hospice care so special.

We’re proud to share that Ruth Freeman, CEO of The Myton Hospices, recently took part in an important panel discussion about hospice care in the UK at the House of Lords, hosted by the Rt Hon Lord Howard of Lympne CH KC.

Ruth joined Rachael Black, CEO of St Joseph’s Hospice in Hackney, Paul Jennings, Chair of Hospice UK, and Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK, to discuss the growing workforce and funding challenges facing hospices with an audience of Hospice UK supporters and ambassadors of the hospice movement.

The discussion provided an opportunity to highlight the pressures facing the hospice sector and the urgent need to protect specialist palliative and end of life care for people across the country.

Why are hospices filled with so much love and kindness?

Throughout the discussion, there were many thought-provoking questions. But one in particular stayed with Ruth.

The panel was asked why hospices are such warm and welcoming places, often filled with joy and laughter.

For Ruth, there were so many possible answers.

It could be because families are made to feel at home and can spend precious time with their loved ones. Because children are always welcome, pets can stay by the bedside, and patients can be surrounded by their favourite possessions and memories.

Or because there’s time to sit together, share stories, talk through worries and make the most of the moments that matter.

But Ruth's answer was simple.

Hospices are filled with love and kindness.

Love between patients and their families and friends. Kindness between staff and those they care for, and between colleagues who support one another every day.

Reflecting on the moment, Ruth shared how saying those words aloud gave her an overwhelming feeling of pride in being part of Myton, and gratitude for the staff, volunteers, donors and supporters who make our care possible.

Hospice care is about so much more than a building or a bed. It's specialist, compassionate care, shaped around each person and the people who matter most to them.

Hospice care is facing a national funding crisis

While hospices are places filled with love, kindness and compassion, the reality is that many are facing an increasingly difficult financial future.

Across the country, we've seen friends and colleagues at other hospices having to make redundancies, reduce or close services, and in some cases close their doors completely.

At Myton, we're doing everything we can to make sure this harsh reality doesn't happen here, because the people of Coventry and Warwickshire deserve better.

We are the only hospice in Coventry and Warwickshire providing specialist palliative and end of life care, and the only local hospice with inpatient beds.

But despite the growing demand for our services, we simply don't have enough funding to provide care for everyone who needs us.

We have 36 inpatient beds across our hospices, but can currently only afford to keep 25 open.

Every year, around 200 local people die or become too unwell to move while waiting for a hospice bed at Myton.

That's almost four people every week.

These are people who could benefit from the specialist pain management, symptom control, emotional support and compassionate care our teams provide.

No one should die waiting for a hospice bed. No one should have to spend their final days in A&E or on a trolley in a hospital corridor when specialist hospice care could provide the comfort, dignity and support they need.

Help us open three more hospice beds

That's why we've launched our Bed Appeal, asking our wonderful community to help us raise £327,000, which could fund three more inpatient hospice beds for 12 months.

Opening three more beds would allow us to care for more local people when they need us, while giving families the opportunity to spend precious time together in a comfortable and supportive environment.

The love and kindness Ruth spoke about at the House of Lords is at the heart of everything we do.

But to continue providing that care, and to make it available to more people, we urgently need your support.

Hospice care should be available to everyone who needs it. It shouldn't depend on where someone lives or how much their local hospice is able to fundraise.

We're incredibly proud of our staff and volunteers, and so grateful to everyone across Coventry and Warwickshire who supports Myton. Without you, we simply couldn't provide the care we do.

Please support our Bed Appeal and help us raise £327,000 to open three more hospice beds for local people and their families.

Donate to our Bed Appeal today!

We'd also like to thank Hospice UK for giving Ruth the opportunity to be part of such an important conversation and helping to raise awareness of the challenges facing hospices across the country.