Frequently asked questions

Introduction

St Ann's Hospice is an independent charitable hospice on three sites, operating across greater Manchester. Services are free of charge to everyone at St Ann's.

What is a Hospice?

A hospice is an umbrella term for a range of services which provide specialist palliative care to those living with a life threatening illness. Services provided by St Ann's include:-

• Inpatients
• Community Respite Service
• Day Care
• Supportive and Medical Outpatients
• Community Specialist Palliative Care Team

What Does Palliative Care Mean?

Palliative care was first developed in the UK by the voluntary hospice movement. In 1987 palliative care became a recognised approach to care across a range of settings and termed ‘palliative medicine’.

Palliative care is for patients with an advanced and progressive illness. This involves management of pain and other symptoms. It also provides valuable psychological, social and spiritual support.

The palliative care approach also includes support for family/carers. The goal of palliative care is to achieve the best quality of life for patients and their families/carers.

Some parts of palliative care may be needed earlier in the course of illness eg at the same time as having other treatments. This may involve symptom/pain control etc.

What is supportive care?

The aim of supportive care is to help patients and their families/carers cope with cancer and its treatment – from pre-diagnosis, diagnosis, treatment, cure, continuing illness, death and into bereavement.

Supportive care is important as it helps patients live life as well as possible with the physical and/or psychological effects of cancer and its treatments.

What is the Neil Cliffe Cancer Care Centre

The NCCCC is a community service. The focus of care is to provide services in an outpatient setting to people at any stage of the cancer experience - from diagnosis, during treatment, post treatment, at times of recurrence and onwards. All services are free of charge.

What services are available at Heald Green and Little Hulton?

To see what services St Ann's Hospice provides please click here.

How can I access services at St Ann's?

To find out how to access services please click here.

Does it matter where I live?

Not at all. Other than in a few instances, all of our services are available to anyone who needs them. We provide services equally to people of any ethnic origin or background and will do our best to meet individual requirements.

We generally take referrals from within the greater Manchester area. If you are outside this area, it may be that there is another hospice closer to where you live. For a full list of hospices, please click here:

How much will it cost me for treatment?

As an independent charitable hospice, services are free of charge to everyone at St Ann's Hospice.

How long is the average stay in St Ann's Hospice?

Patients are admitted for a period of assessment. Length of stay will depend on individual need. However, the hospice is unable to offer long-term care. The average length of inpatient stay is 13 - 20 days.

Is a hospice a place where you go to die?

Patients are admitted to St Ann's hospice for a number of reasons including symptom control, supportive care following treatment eg chemotherapy and radiotherapy, respite care for patients with complex needs and for care at end of life. In 2003, St Ann's Hospice discharged 42% of inpatients into the community.

What illnesses mean that I can access services at St Ann's Hospice?

Patients who have any advanced, progressive illness and who have complex specialist palliative care needs are able to access St Ann's Hospice services. However, NCCCC only offers supportive care to patients and their carers who are affected by a cancer diagnosis.

How much does it cost to run St Ann’s Hospice every year?

St Ann’s Hospice is an independent local charity, and not part of the NHS.

St Ann’s needs to raise £16,000 every day through voluntary contributions to offer its wide range of services.

In total it costs £8.75 million each year to run the Hospice, of which only 35% is received from government funding, leaving a total of £5.8 million each year to be raised through voluntary contributions, legacies, hospice lottery, fundraising and trading activities.

It is the support of the local community that enables St Ann’s Hospice to continue providing the highest standards of care to patients, families and carers.

Why is St Ann's promoting Legacy Giving?

Legacy giving is decreasing across the charitable sector and St Ann’s Hospice is not immune.

Gifts left to St Ann’s Hospice in Wills continue to provide a large part of the voluntary contributions needed to allow the Hospice to continue providing the highest standards of care possible free of charge to the people of Greater Manchester.

In 2004/5, prior to auditing the accounts, legacy income is expected to be in the region of £1,650,000 – a drop of almost £700,000 demonstrating the continuing volatility of our legacy income. We have budgeted carefully for 2005/6 and hope to receive £1,650,000 again from legacy income in order to break even but due to the unpredictability of gifts in wills this is not guaranteed.”

Anyone can leave a gift to St Ann’s and, no matter the size, a gift in a Will is invaluable to the Hospice as it helps give St Ann’s the confidence to continue its commitment to further develop the highest standards of care.

Only one in three people make a Will, and many people do not update their Wills. Writing a Will need not be a complex or frightening procedure. A properly executed Will ensures your loved ones are provided for, instead of your assets going elsewhere or to the State.

A legacy can be anything from a chosen sum of money or collectables to paintings. All gifts to UK registered charities are free of 40% Inheritance Tax meaning that a gift of any amount would come in full to St Ann’s and would be very much appreciated.