Our services in South West England

Marie Curie Companions

Companion volunteers in the South West provide practical and emotional support in hospital, at home, in care homes or over the telephone. They offer free, flexible and personalised help to people at the end of life, and to their families and carers – from helping with advance care planning conversations to offering companionship. The Companion in Hospital service is available in Musgrove Park Hospital and community hospitals across Somerset. Companion volunteers are also available in some parts of the community, including care homes in East Dorset, Somerset and West Devon. Our Companion volunteers in Bournemouth are supporting people at end of life and their families in a community space, at home or over the phone by providing one-to-one emotional and practical support.

About Marie Curie Companions

Hospice care at home

Our nurses and healthcare assistants in the South West bring the clinical, practical and emotional help you need to you, in the comfort of your own home. And we offer support to the people close to you too – from reassurance and practical information to letting them take a break. Our Hospice Care at Home service is available in South Gloucestershire, Bristol, North Somerset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.

About this type of care

Bereavement support

Across the South West, we offer a bereavement service for those who have been supported through Marie Curie. Following a bereavement, a member of our team will reach out to check in and see if you’d like additional support. If you do, you’ll be paired with a trained Bereavement Companion volunteer who will provide practical and emotional support over the phone. The service is available to anyone who’s been supported by a Marie Curie service in the South West, as well as if someone close to you has died at Royal Devon University Hospital (North Devon and Exeter), Musgrove Park Hospital (Taunton, Somerset), or community hospitals across Somerset.

Identification and Support within Primary Care Networks

Marie Curie works with local groups of GP practices (Primary Care Networks) to provide extra, joined‑up support for people whose health is changing, and for those close to them. Working alongside GP surgeries, we help coordinate care and connect you with the right support at the right time. This may include emotional and practical support, help plan ahead, and provide referrals to other services such as occupational therapy, medication reviews, or local community and voluntary support. Support is personalised, offered at home or over the phone, and can adapt as your situation changes – so you don’t have to navigate everything alone.

Call 01884 703510

Hospital‑based end of life support

Marie Curie provides specialist end of life support within hospitals, working closely alongside NHS teams to improve people’s experience of care at a difficult time. Our teams offer emotional support, help explain what’s happening, and support conversations about wishes, priorities and next steps. We work with hospital staff to help coordinate care, whether that means staying in hospital, going home, or moving to another place of care. We know being in hospital at the end of life can feel overwhelming. Our role is to bring extra time, continuity and a person‑centred focus, so people and those close to them feel listened to, supported and not alone. Marie Curie currently delivers hospital‑based end of life support at University Hospitals Plymouth and Royal Devon University Hospital.

Call 01884 703510

Getting Marie Curie care and support in the South West

To get referred to a Marie Curie service directly, contact your GP, district nurse or hospital team. Get in touch with our local coordination centre to learn about services in your area and how we may be able to help (open Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm).

Call 01884 214 105

Are you a healthcare professional?

Learn about the types of service we offer for people living with a terminal illness and how to refer patients.

Find out more

Online Community

Connect with our Online Community to get support from other people affected by terminal illness, including those who are bereaved. It’s a space for you to share your thoughts, feelings and experiences with others from the comfort of your own home.

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How we can help in the South West