Most people in West Midlands think hospice is where you go to die

Seven in ten people in the West Midlands think that a hospice is somewhere people go to die, according to a poll conducted by Marie Curie Cancer Care. The charity released the results today to coincide with launch events in Birmingham and Solihull for its Big Build Appeal to raise £7 million to build a new hospice for the West Midlands.

The poll found that only three in ten people (30%) are aware that people with illnesses can go to a hospice to have pain and other symptoms relieved before returning home. The facilities available at the new Marie Curie Hospice will enable many more patients to have their symptoms managed   before going home again.

When asked to identify somewhere where people can benefit from complementary therapies, ‘hotel’ and ‘spa’ were far more popular choices than ‘hospice’. In addition to more therapy rooms available for physiotherapy and occupational therapy for all patients, the new hospice will have expanded capacity for complementary therapies and counselling.

The Big Build Appeal Committee today calls on people across the West Midlands region to back the two-year appeal and help to achieve the £7 million target.

Chris Rawstron, Chair of the Big Build Appeal Committee comments: “The existing hospice has had tremendous support from local people over the years and today we’re calling on everyone across the West Midlands to renew and intensify that support to help make this new hospice a reality. Every contribution, large or small, will help to ensure we have a hospice that can give us and future generations the care and support that we and our families need, completely free of charge.

“The current hospice has done an excellent job caring for thousands of patients over the years, but the 100 year-old building is reaching the end of its useful life and urgently needs replacing. The new hospice will provide fantastic facilities, increased patient capacity and expanded day care and outpatient services. With their own individual, en-suite rooms, patients will have the privacy and dignity they deserve as well as space to spend time with their families.”

Liz Cottier, Manager of the Marie Curie Hospice, Solihull, comments: “Far too often, people think of a hospice as a gloomy, depressing place, but our patients are always commenting on how welcoming and friendly it is here. Our day patients come to unwind and socialise as well as having a range of treatments and therapies. The new hospice will let us expand even further the range of services on offer and we’ll have a spacious modern setting with beautiful gardens.

“My biggest concern is always for our patients and families – they need the most modern facilities for first-rate medical care, but they also need space and privacy to talk, laugh and sometimes cry together.  We are calling on people throughout the region to join us in making this possible.” 

There are many ways people can get involved and support the appeal. Individuals, groups of friends and businesses can sign up for one of the appeal challenges, organise their own event with the support of Marie Curie’s local fundraising team, or simply make a donation.

There will also be an opportunity to find out more about the new hospice and how to get involved in the appeal when Marie Curie volunteers will be in Mell Square in Solihull on Friday March 25.  Anyone interested in finding out more about how to get involved can contact Lynn Wood, Area Fundraising Manager, on 0121 254 7844 

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