Don't leave hospice care to chance

Every day, hospices across the UK care for people of all ages living with serious illness, and for the families who love them. 

The stories below come from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, from children's and adult hospices. What all their experiences have in common though is the difference that hospice care made, from bringing pain under control to bringing families together at the most difficult time. 

We've gathered these stories as part of Hospice Care Week 2026, where our theme is 'don't leave hospice care to chance'. Government funding covers on average 40% of the cost of care delivered by adult hospices, and around a third for children’s hospices. As such, many hospices are now having to make difficult decisions about the services they can offer. That means whether someone gets this kind of care can come down to where they live and what their local hospice can afford.  

Alison was cared for by Highland Hospice towards the end of her life. After she experienced some back pain, tests found tumours in various places, including in one of her lungs. When caring for her at home began to become a struggle at the end of 2024, she was admitted to Highland Hospice for end-of-life care. The hospice weren't able to take her pain away, but she was a lot more comfortable than she had been. 

"The care from the nurses was great, she was eating a lot better, she seemed happy sending me pictures of her lunch. There was a comfort knowing that there's people there taking care of her." 

For Alison's husband, Andrew, knowing she was so well taken care of meant he could step back from being a carer and just be her husband again. One of the nurses told him: "You concentrate on being a husband, and we'll concentrate on being nurses." 

Andrew fondly remembers how staff would go out of their way for Alison. One busy afternoon, Alison asked for a hot chocolate, and after 20 minutes they assumed it had been forgotten. It turned out the cafe had run out of cream and marshmallows, so a member of staff made a mad dash to the shops to buy some especially for her. 

"Alison was so delighted, and we got a photo of her holding her hot chocolate. Those little touches made an impression." 

In her final week, Alison had a surge of strength and was able to spend a very special day with her family. Alison died on Boxing Day 2024. 

In Alison's memory, Andrew took on the CELTMAN Extreme Scottish Triathlon in summer 2025, raising over £6,000 for Highland Hospice. It was something Alison had really encouraged him to pursue, and in the months following her death it gave him something to focus on. He still occasionally visits the hospice cafe for a hot chocolate to this day. 

Dorcas is a 59-year-old clothes maker living in South East London, and she has stage 4 breast cancer. First diagnosed in 2017, and again in 2022, she has had eight rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and continues to take medication to manage her condition. When she was referred to Community Hospice in early 2026, it was somewhere she'd never heard of before. 

"I didn't know anything about hospice care before I was referred. I'd never heard the word 'hospice' before." 

Dorcas is from Nigeria, where hospice care isn't widely recognised or available, so the service was unfamiliar to her. The support she found quickly became an important source of comfort, spanning emotional, spiritual and practical help, even including support to secure financial assistance. 

"It's made a difference because I have someone to talk to, someone I can pour my mind out to, so my mind is free. If I need them, if I want to see them or call them, they answer me and help me." 

Throughout her care, Dorcas's faith has stayed constant. For Tracey, her care worker and the team lead for psychological, social and spiritual care, helping people hold their faith and their care together is an important part of the role. 

"You can have a palliative diagnosis, receive treatment, be under hospice care and still have your spiritual needs met. One doesn't cancel the other out. In Dorcas's case, what was important to her was prayer, so we pray together regularly. This brings connection and comfort at a scary time when the future is uncertain." 

Dorcas's experience highlights that hospice care is not about choosing between faith and medicine, or hope for the future and acceptance of death. For many people, of all faiths, it is about finding room for both.

Five-year-old Caleb lives in Brecon, Powys, with his mum and dad, Jenna and Jamie. He also lives with his three older siblings: Toby, Natasha, and Alesha. Caleb has severe cardiac issues, and for the past four years, he and his family have been supported by Tŷ Hafan Children's Hospice. 

Living in Brecon, the family are geographically isolated and find it difficult to access support services within their own community. Through Tŷ Hafan though, they have been able to benefit from a range of support including advocacy, counselling, play therapy and emergency short notice stays at the hospice. 

For the family, the hospice has been a lifeline. Caleb’s dad, Jamie, said: “I wouldn’t even like to think what our lives would be like without the support we get from them.” 

“You never imagine you’re going to be the ones who have a disabled child and even though it is Caleb who is ill, Tŷ Hafan looks after our whole family. And they do it with so much respect for us all. Tŷ Hafan is always there for us and especially when things get tough." 

This whole family support was particularly vital when the family was faced with a second seriously ill child. Like his little brother, Toby also has cardiac issues and whilst he needed to spend a couple of weeks in the ECMO unit in Bristol Children’s Hospital during summer 2023, the hospice stepped up and looked after Caleb. 

“We live in Brecon and we don't have any family nearby to call on for support but Tŷ Hafan were there for us straightaway in our time of need. I don't know how we would have coped without them.” 

No family should have to rely on this support being there by chance.  

“Kids don’t want to be poorly and end up in a hospice. Tŷ Hafan and all hospices in Wales should get all the funding they need, what they do is life and death, it's as simple as that." 

Gena was a warm, witty woman who was full of life and the heart of her family. She loved making handmade cards and tending to her garden, often enlisting her grandchildren to pull out the daisies. Above all, she cherished her family and she is now sorely missed by all who knew her, especially her husband, Hugh, her four children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. 

In 2018, Gena’s health declined. After breast cancer, complications affected her lungs and later led to heart failure. Over time, her mobility was also impacted significantly. At first, she was keen to stay at home, but after meeting a nurse from Somerton House and visiting the hospice, Gena and her family’s worries were eased. 

Her daughter Gail said: “The difference between the hospital and Somerton House was night and day.” 

Whilst at Somerton House, the staff not only ensured Gena was able to be more comfortable, but they also helped her to find joy in the things she enjoyed doing.  

"She was having a bad day once, and then Nicola, the occupational therapist, came in with a massive tray filled with flowers. Mum got to make her own bouquet, and her smile just went from ear to ear," says Gail. 

For 13 weeks, the family made the hospice their home. They were given the gift of time together as a family, time to sit together, laugh together, and make precious memories.

Michele and her husband, Frank, came to know The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice long before they ever needed it. Michele had visited the hospice cafe with her sister for lunch shortly after their mother died. They’d both wished their mother had received hospice care, and upon visiting, it left a lasting impression on Michele. She said it felt beautiful and peaceful. 

That day, Michele never imagined that the time she would need hospice care would be so soon, but in early 2026, just a few months after being diagnosed with secondary liver cancer, Michele was transferred to the hospice. It was here that her treatment moved from chemotherapy to palliative care. 

For over three months, her pain hadn’t been properly controlled but within three days at the hospice, it was brought under control and Michele finally had some comfort and peace. Not only did they care for Michele though, they also held the whole family, giving Frank the space to be her husband again, not her carer.  

One special evening in March, the hospice helped the couple renew their wedding vows. They went all out decorating the sanctuary with an arch, flowers and candles, playing music and providing cake. 

Frank said: “They lifted our love up where it belonged.” 

Michele died peacefully shortly after on 11th March 2026, aged just 57, surrounded by her family. 

Jada-Lea was born prematurely in 2009, weighing just 3lb. Shortly afterwards, doctors found she had a duplication of chromosome 19, a rare genetic condition that leads to a range of developmental issues. At the time, her parents, Trevor and Michelle, were told only one other child in the world was known to have it, and that their life expectancy was short. 

Since then, Jada-Lea has had major operations, lengthy stays in hospital and spells on life support. But she continues to defy the odds. She is tube-fed, and unable to walk or talk, but that doesn’t stop her from being a determined, spirited girl. She loves music, bright lights and noisy toys, but most of all she enjoys watching clips of her dad, who played professional football. 

Caring for Jada-Lea has changed everything for the family, and at times it has been incredibly hard. Since late 2024, they have been supported by East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH), where Jada-Lea has short breaks and expert nursing care at Milton hospice. 

“It’s so reassuring knowing she’s in safe hands, around people who know exactly what she needs. For Jada-Lea, and us as parents, it’s a safety net,” says Trevor. 

For Michelle, Milton feels like a home away from home, and she appreciates all the little touches the staff do to make them feel welcome. 

“It’s an amazing, magical place, and I’ve never heard anyone say a bad thing about EACH. We’re so thankful, and I couldn’t manage without it.”

Michael was a fun-loving husband and dad who loved to make those around him laugh. After being diagnosed with prostate cancer in March 2019, he began being cared for at home by City Hospice in Cardiff. His wife, Rosemary, and their daughter, Charlotte, share here what that care meant to them. 

“Michael was the love of my life. I am so glad that we got to spend 37 wonderful years together, with two beautiful children. He always made me laugh every day in some shape or form, right up until the last minute.” 

For Charlotte, she remembers her dad as someone people loved to be around: “Dad commanded attention in the room without even trying. Everyone wanted to listen to him because he always had something fun and exciting to say. He was just the most amazing person, my biggest cheerleader, and he’s in my mind all the time.” 

For the family, the support they received went far beyond Michael’s medical care. Rosemary said their nurse explained everything to them in a way they could understand, such as what the treatments were, and helped them make difficult decisions. This support meant that their final years together as a family were much easier. 

Michael died in 2022, but the support from City Hospice didn’t end there. The family received bereavement counselling from them following Michael’s death. 

Charlotte said: “A little while after Dad’s passing, I wasn’t coping very well. I didn’t know where to go or who to turn to, so I took City Hospice up on their bereavement counselling. I couldn’t be more thankful for everything they did, and how supportive and helpful they have been. I can’t imagine having gone through this journey without them.” 

Sixteen-year-old Alfie was diagnosed with a serious heart condition before he was born and spent much of his childhood in and out of hospital. He’s had multiple operations and is partially paralysed following a stroke at just two years old. His mum, Emma, cares for him around the clock, alongside his younger sister, Willow. The family has been supported by Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice for a number of years. 

There are many things the family love about the hospice, but one thing they really enjoy doing together is using the hydropool, which is the only exercise Alfie can manage. 

Emma said: “It’s so nice to do things with both of them, we don’t really get the chance otherwise.” 

The family’s link worker, Lucy, has helped Emma and Alfie work out what other support they need, including a disability benefits application. Her role goes beyond practical help, though. When Emma mentioned how much Alfie loves wrestling, Lucy set out to get him to a live WWE show and secured tickets and a suite with space for his wheelchair. 

“When she told me, I could have cried. I sent her a video of when I told Alfie. It was like a dream come true for him!” 

For Emma, knowing the hospice is there makes a difference: “It can be scary, not knowing what the future holds, so it’s good to know someone is there for us, to have someone to call.” 

These stories from across the UK show what hospice care makes possible, but this care can only continue if hospices are properly funded. No one should have to rely on luck to get the care they need. Hospice care needs to be for all, for now, forever.