How the Time to Care Appeal was born

Four years ago the concept of care that we have at Lewis-Manning Hospice was very different to NHS thinking at the time - that was that patients should die at home if at all possible. As a result, Lewis-Manning Hospice was unsuccessful in its Department of Health bid to support the new build as we proposed to provide something that was out of step with the NHS vision for palliative care and was therefore not something they would consider supporting financially.

Elizabeth Purcell, Lewis-Manning Hospice Chief Executive, and the Lewis-Manning Hospice board members passionately believe that with patients living longer and carers having to manage for longer, there needs to be a significant shift of focus and care. To this end, the Time to Care Appeal was born and after years in the planning it was decided that Lewis-Manning Hospice would build a purpose built unit that would integrate the high standard of services that we offer now with bedrooms to provide respite and intensive rehabilitation for local people.

Since the decision was made, work with local Primary Care Trusts, the Dorset Cancer Network, and stakeholders has confirmed that there is a need for the new type of care that will be offered by Lewis-Manning Hospice and that the board was visionary in its decision to support this new type of hospice. Further confirmation came from Demos, an independent think tank focused on power and politics, that suggested there is now a pressing need to redefine the provision of palliative care and "to allow people the deaths they want, end of life care must be radically transformed." There is a "need to create new places for people to die close to their home and their friends and family, where their personal care and medical care is looked after."

This is what Lewis-Manning Hospice is building now.

Elizabeth Purcell said, "It isn’t often that you have an opportunity to significantly affect the care of people living with palliative care needs for years to come. Those members of the team, volunteers, board members and the community have quite literally a unique opportunity to help support this innovative new provision of services.

I only ask that each and every member of the community feels as committed to this project so that we all know that our family and friends will get the support they need when they need it most. These are times of great change, of great financial pressure but, above all, great opportunity to help support Lewis-Manning Hospice at this most exciting time in its growth and development."

Your support makes you a part of the new build and the Time to Care Appeal, which, upon completion, will help over 1800 local people living with cancer and other life threatening illnesses within the first three years. Click here to get involved, or call 01202 701000 to speak with a member of the fundraising team.