To help us keep 8 inpatient beds open this year.

Twelve. Ten in ensuite rooms and two in our IPU studio apartments.

8 beds.

The NHS can fund five beds. The NHS has increased funding by 2.15%, the NHS funding rules mean we also have to deliver 2% efficiency (spend 2% less). This means the NHS removes 2% from the money they give us.

By using £630,000 in charitable donations.

Since the pandemic, because demand for our care is growing, we have protected services. We have reduced costs by making savings. This year we have been unable to make a general pay award for our staff. But the cost of living means fewer people can donate to charity and if they are able to donate, most of those supporters donate less.

This means a gap between the cost of care and the income we can raise. We worked hard before the pandemic to build up money in the bank (reserves) for more difficult times. We have now used those available reserves.

• To be 100% cared for day and night by a whole team who understand you and your needs.
• To give you choice and control over your care.
• So you and your family can be a family again (because the Hospice team does the caring).

Like Ali, whose story features in this appeal, everyone who comes to the Inpatient Unit experiences peace, love and expert care from our team and can be surrounded by their family and friends.

Every patient has an in-depth assessment to agree the combination of care and treatment that’s best for them, put that care and treatment in place, to get symptom management back on track and to give time to review the ongoing plan for care.

Our two Inpatient studio apartments; IPU are a home from home.  Whilst our team looks after every aspect of the patient’s care, the family really can live like a family again.

On average people will stay with us for 16 days and nights.

20% of people go home after their stay on IPU and our community team cares for them.  Our community team runs 10 virtual beds, which brings our specialist care to you at home. 

80% come to us because they chose The Hospice of St Francis for their end-of-life care.

If you are already being cared for by our community team, they can arrange admission. If not, your GP, District Nurse or Hospital will usually refer you.

Our doctors and nurses can arrange admissions 7 days a week throughout the day, and in emergencies at night. We prioritise admissions dependent upon the urgency of each person’s needs. Our team will talk to you about your care and symptoms. We may ask to speak to your family, especially if a family member is caring for you.

From home or hospital if they live in South and West Hertfordshire or South Buckinghamshire.

In the last two years HP2, HP4, WD3&4 and Al1-3 were the most frequent home postcodes for patients coming into IPU.  Overall, 19% of people had an AL (St Albans) home postcode, 17% a WD home postcode, (the Watford side of Hertfordshire) and 60% an HP postcode (Hemel Hempstead and the adjacent areas).

In the UK the definition of a premature death means you do not live to celebrate your 76th birthday. 

In the last two years 52% of our IPU patients were younger than 76.  This is the age range of people we cared for on IPU: 15% were under 55, 15% were aged 56-65, 22% were aged 66-75 and 48% were aged 76 and older. The whole age range: 32-99 years old.

Another £370,000 at current costs.