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.
In celebration of International Women’s Day on Saturday 8 March, Prospect Hospice proudly shines a spotlight on Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Ruth Alderton, who recently travelled to Pakistan with a Christian organisation, PRIME (Partnership in International Medical Education), to share her skills and knowledge by empowering healthcare professionals with essential palliative care skills.
During her two weeks in Pakistan, Ruth facilitated PRIME’s comprehensive Palliative Care Programme, which consists of key sessions designed to provide holistic and effective care. The programme covers a variety of subjects such as ‘What is Palliative care?’ and ‘Pain and the whole person care’.
This training empowers healthcare professionals to deliver compassionate, patient-centred palliative care, enhancing the quality of life for those with serious illnesses.
Ruth said: “One of the biggest challenges we faced during our trip was training health care professionals in how to initiate conversations about end-of-life care. In Pakistan, palliative care is approached very differently compared to the UK. Talking about dying is often avoided, as it’s believed that discussing death can bring bad luck or even hasten the end of life.”
Ruth supported Dr Gill Horne from Rowcroft Hospice, Devon, spent a week in Karachi and a week in Lahore, they encountered vastly different experiences. In Karachi, they worked alongside medical other health care professionals eager to expand their knowledge of palliative care in a hospital setting.
In Lahore, they engaged with community workers and religious leaders who had travelled from all across Pakistan, and they found a more cautious approach to Western medicine and open conversations surrounding death. Although both the weeks were very different settings, the feedback received from both of the teaching programmes was hugely positive and demonstrated a real desire to learn more and to improve care for people who are dying in Pakistan.
Reflecting on the experience, Ruth continued: “It was a privilege to work with healthcare professionals in Pakistan, particularly inspiring women who are making a difference in their communities.
This trip was completely out of my comfort zone and several times during the trip I questioned if I’d made the right decision, however I am so pleased that I was able to make the most of the fantastic opportunity and these experiences will stay with me forever.
I am hugely grateful to my family and friends for supporting me throughout and also to PRIME, as knowing that they were praying for Dr Gill and myself during the whole time really helped.
This International Women’s Day, as I reflect on my time in Pakistan, I hope my experience will inspire my teenage daughter and women thinking about taking a chance to just go for it! The women I met during my trip were incredibly brave and passionate and I’d like to dedicate today to them, as they lead the way in compassionate healthcare across their communities.”
Shelia Popert, Director of Patient Services at Prospect Hospice, is immensely proud of the impact Ruth’s made: “Her commitment to compassionate, values-based care and her dedication to empowering others truly embodies the spirit of International Women’s Day.”
This International Women’s Day, Prospect Hospice celebrates Ruth’s achievements and the vital role women play in healthcare leadership worldwide. Ruth’s journey reflects Prospect Hospice’s commitment to compassionate, high-quality care at home and abroad.
For more information about Prospect Hospice visit www.prospect-hospice.net
30 January 2025
27 January 2025