At Prospect Hospice, we provide outstanding, personalised and compassionate care for everyone in Swindon, Marlborough and the surrounding areas affected by a life-limiting illness, completely free of charge. For more than 40 years, we’ve been a dedicated, non-hospital, end-of-life care service for patients and their loved ones - around the clock, every day of the year. Our mission is to ensure that anyone can access the best possible expert care whenever and wherever they need it – whether at the hospice or in their own home. As a charity, we only exist because of the generosity and support of our amazing local community.
Find out about the range of end-of-life care services that we offer to patients and their families. These delivered free of charge and are designed to provide compassionate, personalised support during every stage of a life-limiting illness in every kind of care setting, to anyone who needs it.
We couldn’t do what we do without considerable support from our local community. Find out all the different ways in which you can support Prospect Hospice, including fundraising, volunteering and purchasing from our shops. All contributions are greatly appreciated and enables us to deliver care that is free of charge to our patients and their families.
Our café sits at the heart of our hospice in Wroughton and serves a range of delicious home cooked meals to suit all tastes. Whether you're looking to catch up with friends over lunch or relax with coffee and cake, our Heart of the Hospice café has you covered.
Whether shopping with us in person or online, or donating your pre-loved goods, we thank you for supporting us through our shops where you help to raise around £2million a year for Prospect Hospice.
We pride ourselves on being a great place to work and we're always looking for outstanding people to join our team at the hospice across all areas of the charity.
Prospect Hospice is the leading provider of education and training for end-of-life care in Swindon and north Wiltshire. Working closely with you, our colleagues within partner organisations, we want to ensure that the very best care is available to everyone facing the end of life. This is why we provide education and development opportunities, all of which aim to encourage learning and build confidence in end of life care and support.
When you arrive at the hospice, you will be welcomed to the inpatient unit by a member of the nursing team. They will help you to settle and feel comfortable. Soon after your arrival, a nurse and doctor will come and talk to you about the reasons you have been admitted, and what your goals and wishes are.
On most days, a doctor will assess and review your needs and any symptoms you may have. A nurse will often be with them so you won’t need to tell more people the same information.
If you are happy for them to do so, the doctor or nurse will meet with your family, or the people important to you, to discuss your care and any issues or concerns they may have. Your comfort during your stay is our main focus. We want you to feel rested and fully involved in decision making if you choose to be.
There are 8 beds available on our inpatient unit, all with ensuite facilities. We will try to allocate you a room of your choice, but this will depend on the needs and requirements of all the patients staying with us at the time.
We have two bathrooms fitted with level access showers, and also a spa bath. Our nursing team will help you use the facilities or offer care at your bed side.
Each bedroom looks onto our tranquil gardens, and is equipped with an adjustable chair, a television with radio, bedside furniture, and privacy curtains. We encourage you to bring in personal items, to make your room, or bed space, feel more like home.
Wi-Fi access is available and you are also welcome to use your mobile phone, or our hands-free telephone, when you wish. There’s a selection of books and magazines, and our staff and volunteers will be happy to help you choose something to read if you would like them to. There are other areas within the inpatient unit and hospice for you to visit during your stay. These include the Heart of the Hospice café, the garden room conservatory, the day therapy unit, and complementary therapy room. We also have a dedicated quiet space for reflective or spiritual contemplation, and our extensive gardens.
The team caring for you on the inpatient unit come from a variety of professions, and we refer to them as the Multi-Disciplinary team, or MDT. You will meet many of them here during your stay. They work together to ensure that your wishes and needs are met wherever possible, and that you remain in control and are fully involved in decisions about your care.
The nursing team provide around the clock care, and you will see people in each of the different roles on all shifts. There is also a shift coordinator on the unit at all times, who is either a team leader or a more experienced staff nurse. Please feel free to approach any member of the nursing team if you have a concern or need to discuss any aspect of your care during your stay with us.
You can also expect to meet the doctors and consultants who form our medical team, our physiotherapists and occupational therapists, and many of the volunteers who support the team on our inpatient unit.
For many people who are admitted to the hospice, the availability of a religious or spiritual leader from their community is important. If there is someone who you would like to visit you during your stay then please ask them to visit you, or let one of the nursing team know that you would like help to contact them. We have links with leaders of local faith groups and can contact them on your behalf if you would like us to. We have a dedicated quiet space which is available to use for reflection and contemplation. We also have texts and artefacts relating to different faiths available. Please ask one of the nursing staff if you would like to use this room or need any specific items to support your own reflections.
Our catering team offer flexible times for preparing and serving meals. If you follow a special diet or have any specific requests, we will always try to cater for these.
Breakfasts are prepared and served to order, and you will be asked each day what you would like to have.
Lunches and suppers are available between the hours of 12 – 2pm, and 5 – 6pm. If you wish to eat outside of these times please let us know. Drinks and snacks are available 24 hours a day. There’s a small selection of alcoholic drinks available for patients on request and, if you choose to, you are welcome to eat in the Heart of the Hospice café, and families can bring food in for you during your stay.
Special items can be labelled and stored in the fridge.
Our car park is available for all visitors to use free of charge, but please don’t park along the access road as this prevents emergency vehicle access to the hospice.
The inpatient unit has an open visiting policy so that your family and the people who are important to you can visit at any time. We know though that at times you may prefer to rest. If this is the case, please talk to your nurse who will discuss this with your visitors. We ask that your visitors are mindful of the needs of other patients too, and where possible avoid visiting too late in the evening or in too great a number at any one time.
Children are welcome, but please ask your visitors to keep an eye on them at all times. A play area is situated by the garden room. Please make sure that an adult is with any children using the play area, and that it is left tidy when they leave it.
Pets are part of the family too and there have been many occasions when people’s pets – including dogs, cats, and even horses – have visited people staying on the inpatient unit. Please let us know if you would like your pet or pets to visit you during your stay.
We can make arrangements for the people most important to you to stay with you. We can arrange for use of an available bed for your family to stay in your room with you. Please ask and we will be happy to help you.
Never been in a hospice? It’s not what you think…
If you are a patient, family member or from the local healthcare community, and you need fast advice, please call the Single Point of Contact (SPoc) team on 01793 816124 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm).
Outside of these hours, call 01793 816109 to access our 24 hour advice line.