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| Is it time to help the hospices? | Is it time to help the hospices? |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| At Easter, Jenny McMurtary was given just days to live. | At Easter, Jenny McMurtary was given just days to live. |
| At Christmas, she had been diagnosed with a sarcoma, a rare cancer, in her shoulder, and it had spread. | At Christmas, she had been diagnosed with a sarcoma, a rare cancer, in her shoulder, and it had spread. |
| But now she is making the most of the summer, with her husband, Michael. | But now she is making the most of the summer, with her husband, Michael. |
| "We've been to garden centres, local villages and even made a trip to Hayling Island," says the 69-year-old. | "We've been to garden centres, local villages and even made a trip to Hayling Island," says the 69-year-old. |
| "You have to be careful not to push yourself too much, but I want to make the most of the time I have left." | "You have to be careful not to push yourself too much, but I want to make the most of the time I have left." |
| How has she defied medical opinion? | How has she defied medical opinion? |
| Good care and personal determination have obviously played a key part. | Good care and personal determination have obviously played a key part. |
| But so has the help she has received from the local hospice service. | But so has the help she has received from the local hospice service. |
| Jenny is one of 2,000 people cared for each year by Phyllis Tuckwell, a hospice group that covers West Surrey and North East Hampshire. | |
| Contrary to popular opinion, much of the service operates out in the community. | Contrary to popular opinion, much of the service operates out in the community. |
| The actual hospice building, in Farnham, looks after 350 in-patients a year, but an estimated 1,600 will receive help at home over the next year. | |
| And several hundred more will be helped via the day centre service along with the support given to carers and relatives. | |
| Tingling feeling | Tingling feeling |
| Jenny receives daily visits from the community team's nurses and therapists. | Jenny receives daily visits from the community team's nurses and therapists. |
| They help with personal care, but are also there to talk and lend support - and this can prove invaluable. | They help with personal care, but are also there to talk and lend support - and this can prove invaluable. |
| A few weeks ago, Jenny mentioned she had started experiencing a tingling feeling in her fingers. | A few weeks ago, Jenny mentioned she had started experiencing a tingling feeling in her fingers. |
| Her hospice nurse immediately recognised something could be wrong, and scans were ordered that confirmed a tumour was pressing on her spine. | Her hospice nurse immediately recognised something could be wrong, and scans were ordered that confirmed a tumour was pressing on her spine. |
| Jenny has since had radiotherapy to slow its growth. | Jenny has since had radiotherapy to slow its growth. |
| Fiona Stamp, who coordinates the hospice's at-home team, says it aims to give people as good a "quality of life as possible and a good death". | Fiona Stamp, who coordinates the hospice's at-home team, says it aims to give people as good a "quality of life as possible and a good death". |
| "We are in a very privileged position - we are there with people when they are at their most vulnerable," she says. | "We are in a very privileged position - we are there with people when they are at their most vulnerable," she says. |
| "The people we see are amazingly courageous, it's an honour to be there to help them." | "The people we see are amazingly courageous, it's an honour to be there to help them." |
| But despite playing a crucial role, the hospice movement remains very much a charitable enterprise. | But despite playing a crucial role, the hospice movement remains very much a charitable enterprise. |
| Hospices care for 120,000 people a year - treble that if you count the family members they support. | Hospices care for 120,000 people a year - treble that if you count the family members they support. |
| That is about a fifth of people in the final year of life. | That is about a fifth of people in the final year of life. |
| But only a fraction of their £1bn-a-year funding comes from the health service. For adult hospices, it is about a third. For children's, less than a fifth. | But only a fraction of their £1bn-a-year funding comes from the health service. For adult hospices, it is about a third. For children's, less than a fifth. |
| A survey released this week by Hospice UK and Together for Short Lives suggests nearly a fifth have had their NHS funding cut, with half seeing it frozen. | A survey released this week by Hospice UK and Together for Short Lives suggests nearly a fifth have had their NHS funding cut, with half seeing it frozen. |
| Where services have seen increases, they are being asked to take on extra work. | Where services have seen increases, they are being asked to take on extra work. |
| The hospice movement | The hospice movement |
| Collectively, hospices need to raise £1.9m a day to stay afloat. | Collectively, hospices need to raise £1.9m a day to stay afloat. |
| It means hospices have to take on a huge amount of "extra- curricular work". | It means hospices have to take on a huge amount of "extra- curricular work". |
| Phyllis Tuckwell runs 19 shops as well as organising a host of fundraising events, including a dancing competition, fun runs and music festivals. | Phyllis Tuckwell runs 19 shops as well as organising a host of fundraising events, including a dancing competition, fun runs and music festivals. |
| Marketing and communications head Tony Carpenter says: "Our turnover is £9m, and we only get £1.8m from the NHS. | Marketing and communications head Tony Carpenter says: "Our turnover is £9m, and we only get £1.8m from the NHS. |
| "It means we are always under pressure to make sure we are raising enough money. | "It means we are always under pressure to make sure we are raising enough money. |
| "But we do get fantastic support from the community. | "But we do get fantastic support from the community. |
| "We employ about 220 staff but have nearly 1,000 volunteers on our books." | "We employ about 220 staff but have nearly 1,000 volunteers on our books." |
| Hospice UK policy director Jonathan Ellis says this is typical of the situation facing many hospices up and down the country. | Hospice UK policy director Jonathan Ellis says this is typical of the situation facing many hospices up and down the country. |
| "NHS funding for hospice care is still very hit and miss, with sweeping variations across the country." | "NHS funding for hospice care is still very hit and miss, with sweeping variations across the country." |
| He believes change is needed. "As NHS funding comes under increasing pressure, we need a fairer, more sustainable system in place and we need this introduced soon. | He believes change is needed. "As NHS funding comes under increasing pressure, we need a fairer, more sustainable system in place and we need this introduced soon. |
| "Failure by the NHS to act will be storing up huge problems for how our society supports terminally ill and dying people in the future." | "Failure by the NHS to act will be storing up huge problems for how our society supports terminally ill and dying people in the future." |
| But at the moment this seems unlikely. A spokeswoman for NHS England describes the role played by hospices as "invaluable", but says the amount of funding given would remain a decision for local managers. | But at the moment this seems unlikely. A spokeswoman for NHS England describes the role played by hospices as "invaluable", but says the amount of funding given would remain a decision for local managers. |
| Hospices, it seems, will still be left - largely - to fend for themselves. | Hospices, it seems, will still be left - largely - to fend for themselves. |