Covid-19 is affecting us all but Prospect Hospice remains operational in order to support the increasing number of our community needing end of life support. Here you'll find lots of information about the virus and information and advice that we think will help you at this time.
Prospect Hospice has been providing end of life care to the people of Swindon and north east Wiltshire for over 40 years. Find out more about where we've come from and who we are here.
Find out about the range of end-of-life care services that we offer to patients and their families. These 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, free of charge.
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.
Our aim is to provide excellent, personalised and compassionate care for everyone in our community who is affected by a life-limiting illness. We work in close partnership with other organisations – and specifically with local health and social care professionals – to ensure that anyone can access the best possible care whenever and wherever they need it.
Prospect Hospice provides a broad range of services to thousands of patients, carers and family members every year. Our team of nurses, doctors and therapists support patients at the hospice in Wroughton, at the Wellbeing Centre in Marlborough, in their own homes and care homes. Carers and family members can also access a range of free support services.
Through our outreach work – talking to businesses, schools, GP surgeries and community groups – we raise awareness about life-limiting illness and end-of-life care, and encourage conversations about death and dying. We aim to break down any barriers that might stop people from accessing our services.
Prospect Hospice is a charity, funded primarily by our local community. Each year it costs several million pounds to provide the care that our patients and their families depend on. Less than a third of our funding comes from statutory organisations like the NHS – the rest we raise ourselves. If you’d like to help, please read about the many ways in which you can support us.
If you’d like more information about hospices in general, and Prospect Hospice in particular, please visit our frequently asked questions page.
Our vision is for excellent, personalised and compassionate care for everyone affected by a life-limiting illness. In 2020 Prospect Hospice cared for and supported more than 2,359 people, through a broad range of services developed to bring care, comfort and confidence at life’s most difficult time.
At Prospect Hospice, our staff have worked hard to define a set of values and behaviours that shape the way we all work, regardless of individual roles.
Click below to see Prospect Hospice’s CQC rating.
CEO
irenewatkins@prospect-hospice.net 01793 813355 07779 254 129
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Trustee since 2011 David is chair of the board of trustees. He moved to Swindon in 1983 to work for Intel. His various jobs with the semiconductor have given him a wealth of business experiences, as well as the chance to run large international projects. A number of David’s close relatives have benefited from the care offered by the hospice movement and, since becoming a trustee, he has been very impressed by the professional yet caring environment that Prospect Hospice provides. David lives in Swindon’s Old Town with his wife and three daughters.
Trustee since 2018 Sheila is the chief finance officer of Leading Resolutions, an independent IT consultancy providing professional services to FTSE 250 organisations and major charities. Sheila is the chair of our finance and income generation committee and also sits on our patient services committee. She is a chartered management accountant with over 25 years’ experience gained across a variety of organisations, in both executive and non-executive posts. Having started, built and run her own businesses several times over the past two decades, Sheila has a solid understanding of all elements of success and puts people firmly at the heart of every decision. Outside of work, Sheila lives with her husband and has their two adult sons, a horse, a Shetland pony and an adored Westie dog to keep her occupied.
Trustee since 2018 John chairs our nominations committee and sits on our people and resources committee. He was, until he retired in June 2018, the chief executive of Swindon Borough Council, having enjoyed a professional career of nearly 40 years in local government service. In his role as chief executive, John oversaw the council’s entire service delivery and led a workforce of 3,000 people. John developed a reputation in children’s and adult services, latterly becoming the chief executive and pioneering the development to make Swindon one of the most economically efficient boroughs in the country.
Trustee since 2013 Caroline has worked in the financial services industry for over 25 years with an extensive background in business conduct and risk management. She chairs our audit and risk committee. She has been passionate about volunteering throughout her career and has volunteered for a number of charities over the last 30 years. Caroline has lived in or around Swindon all of her life and currently lives in Old Town with her husband and two young daughters. She loves gardening, cooking and entertaining friends.
Trustee since 2013 Douglas sits on our finance and income generation committee. He lives in Tetbury and works in Bristol as head of corporate affairs for the Military Aviation Authority, with a background in project and programme management, and risk management, with qualifications in HR, training and development. He first encountered the work of a hospice when his wife was cared for at home in the last few weeks of her life. Douglas’ pub quiz team is a prolific fundraiser for Prospect Hospice. Outside of work, he has two adult sons and, when not in his garden, Douglas can be found on his bike or learning to play the piano.
Trustee since 2012 Penny chairs sits on our patient services committee and sits on our nominations committee. She has had a long-standing interest in palliative care following working at the Royal Marsden Hospital after qualifying as a junior doctor in the 1980s. Penny has worked for the NHS for 35 years, and she gained management experience as lead clinician in the pathology service at Great Western Hospital. Penny is currently consultant cellular pathologist at North Bristol NHS Trust. She is a member of the South West Regional Quality Assurance Team, visiting laboratories throughout the south west.
Trustee since 2013 Lindsay has been qualified as a doctor since 1990 and has been a consultant in Swindon since 2000. More recently, since 2010, Lindsay has been trust lead cancer clinician at the Great Western Hospital. Lindsay chairs our patient services committee and sits on our Audit and Risk Committee. Her interests outside of work include the theatre, cinema and pilates.
Trustee since 2015 Eleanor is an account director at local public relations consultancy, Vox, where she represents and advises businesses of all sizes and industries, with a specialism in healthcare, education and the public sector. She sits on our patient services committee, our people and resources committee and our nominations committee. In her spare time enjoys running, spending time with her family and good food.
Trustee since 2018 Pradeep sits on our patient services and people and resources committees. Pradeep is senior strategy director and head of industry standards at Syniverse (a Carlyle Group company), providing strategic oversight on the adoption of leading-edge technologies. He is a recognised industry expert with 27 years’ experience in the mobile/telecoms industry. He is actively involved within the local community and has a passion for community service. He is also a keen table tennis division-1 player and county umpire. He shares the same vision as Prospect Hospice of putting people first and intends to help Prospect Hospice with its outreach, volunteering and fundraising activities. Pradeep’s commitment to the local community saw him achieve a Pride of Swindon award in 2018.
Trustee since 2018 Sarah has an extensive background as an HR professional and, with over 22 years’ experience, she has worked in a number of senior leadership roles, predominantly within the retail and energy sectors. Sarah chairs our people and resources committee sits on our nominations committee. The work of Prospect Hospice was well known to Sarah through friends and colleagues who have experienced the care and support when their loved ones required it. She has also previously taken part in some of our fundraising events. Sarah says that she was keen to get involved in becoming a trustee of Prospect Hospice as it’s a local charity providing such excellent and critical support to the community. She wanted to give her time and experience in continuing its excellent work by being involved at the core. Sarah lives locally and has two young children who are very active with their various out of school activities and keep her very busy.
Trustee since 2019 Jennifer joined the board of trustees in summer 2019 and sits on our finance and income generation committee and our people and resources committee. She is a senior associate solicitor at Royds Withy King, specialising in civil litigation. Jennifer represents people who have developed mesothelioma, an incurable cancer usually caused by exposure to asbestos and other asbestos related diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis and pleural thickening. She also represents the families of people who have lost loved ones to the these illnesses. Jennifer set up and runs the Swindon and Wiltshire Asbestos Support Group and hosts an annual memorial day each July in Queens Park to mark national Action Mesothelioma Day, which is also aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of exposure to asbestos. Jennifer feels passionate about the importance of good palliative care and many of her clients have benefited from support provided by Prospect Hospice. Originally from Cumbria, Jennifer moved to Swindon from Reading in 2017 and lives in Old Town with her partner and Westie dog called Florence.
Trustee since 2019 Joe joined as a trustee in 2019 and sits on the finance and income generation and audit and risk committees. He has spent the last 20 years advising businesses and business owners on set-up, fundraising, mergers and acquisitions and stock market listings, as well as corporate governance and general advice. He is a partner at Clark Holt Commercial Solicitors in Swindon’s Old Town, having come to work in Swindon after many years in London. He brings 20 years’ experience of offering pragmatic and commercial advice to his clients to his work at Prospect Hospice. Joe lives near Cirencester, where he spends as much time as he can in his garden.
HRH the Duchess of Cornwall kindly agreed to become our president in 2013, having visited Prospect Hospice and met with patients, volunteers and staff in the previous year. Her Royal Highness also officially opened our Wellbeing Centre at the Savernake Hospital in Marlborough in February 2016.
Jonathan Wilkes has been a patron of Prospect Hospice since 2016, but his relationship with the charity dates back many years, having first hosted and performed at our 30th anniversary ball in 2010. ‘Jonny’ has since returned to host our ball every other year since. His inspiration in becoming a patron was the care that we provided for an aunt of his wife Nikki: “My first experience of Prospect Hospice was when their amazing nursing team cared for my wife Nikki’s late aunt,” he says. “I felt there and then that this was a charity I had to do something to say thank you to, and it’s been my pleasure to have been able to do that. It’s an honour for me to have been asked to become a patron and I look forward to working with the fundraising team to encourage people to support their local hospice.”
Organic farmer and entrepreneur Helen Browning OBE accepted our invitation to become a patron following a visit to the hospice where she met and chatted with key staff and was given an overview of the services that Prospect Hospice provides for thousands of patients and family members each year. Ms Browning, who lives locally and is also the chief executive of the Soil Association, says: “I know from its reputation of the very important part it plays in my local community in providing unparalleled end-of-life care services, so it is an honour for me to be given the opportunity to represent Prospect Hospice as a patron.”
Sarah Rose Troughton is HM Lord-Lieutenant of Wiltshire, a role she was appointed to in 2012. She is the first lady to hold the position in Wiltshire since it was created in the 16th century. Sarah first knew about Prospect Hospice when the late David Margesson, who was a key person in leading the development and building of the Hospice, discussed with her the vital role the hospice would play in the lives of people in the local community. Sarah says: “I am delighted to be a Patron of Prospect Hospice and have always been most impressed by the care given to the patients and to those people close to them. I am pleased that the Hospice caters for the north-east part of the county, including Swindon and through the Wellbeing Centre at Savernake Hospital in Marlborough. Sarah is involved in a number of diverse organisations within Wiltshire, and she holds Prospect Hospice, along with the Hospice movement in particular, in great esteem. Sarah lives nearby with her husband Peter, and they have 3 children and 8 grandchildren.
President
Patron
Are hospices places people go to die?
Yes, but this isn’t the whole truth. The people we care for are typically in the last year of their life. People who are admitted to our inpatient unit are often very unwell, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are going to die at this time - more than half return home. Sometimes patients will come for a period of respite care or to help them to manage their symptoms.
Are hospices gloomy places?
People’s expectations are often different to the reality they find when they come through our doors. We’re keen to encourage visitors, whether they be future patients or families and friends. We work hard to ensure that the hospice is far from gloomy. Our visitors often tell us that, contrary to their expectations, Prospect Hospice doesn’t feel like a gloomy place at all.
Can anyone come and see what you do?
Yes, we are very happy to show visitors around our facilities, though please understand that you will only be able to access the patient rooms if one is unoccupied at the time of your visit. Please call us on 01793 813355 or email info@prospect-hospice.net to arrange a visit. To view the interior of the hospice, visit our Virtual Tour in the 'Your Prospect' section of the website.
Are you open all the time and are there strict visiting hours?
We are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for patients and their families and friends. You can visit at any time – we have two lodges for families to stay overnight should they wish, and can also arrange for an extra bed or recliner chair to be placed by the patient’s bed should this be preferred.
Aren’t hospices for people with cancer?
For some people, the word ‘hospice’ is synonymous with cancer. While it is true that many of the patients we meet are living with a form of cancer, these are not the only people we care for. Our services are for people with any life-limiting illness, including conditions such as Motor Neurone Disease, heart and other organ failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, amongst others. In the recent past, around 70% of the patients had cancer, and the remaining 30% had other conditions. Prospect Hospice is here for people with end-of-life care needs, whatever their diagnosis.
Is the hospice just for people in Swindon?
This was true in our early days, but hasn’t been the case for many years. We support anyone with a life-limiting condition whose GP is based in Swindon, north-east Wiltshire and the villages of Lechlade and Fairford in Gloucestershire. Our referrals team will be able to discuss individual cases – please call us on 01793 813355.
What age ranges do you care for?
We care for adults aged 18 years and over.
Do you care for children?
We provide end-of-life care services for adults aged 18 years and over. However, our Family Support Team, through their work with the families of people we care for, will support children as they come to terms with the illness of a parent or guardian, and this extends into bereavement. The nearest children’s hospices to us are Julia’s House in Devizes, Wiltshire, Helen and Douglas House in Oxfordshire, and Naomi House in Hampshire.
Do patients have to come to you or do you come to them?
Both. There are up to 16 beds in our inpatient unit at the hospice in Wroughton, and we offer services for outpatients, carers and families at our day therapy unit at the hospice in Wroughton and at our Wellbeing Centre at Savernake Hospital in Marlborough. Our Prospect@Home service provides care throughout the local community, and we also work with care homes and at Great Western Hospital.
Are your medical staff fully trained?
All our doctors and nurses are fully qualified and in most cases have additional palliative care qualifications. If our doctors don’t yet have specialist palliative care qualifications, they will be studying towards them.
Are all of your staff volunteers?
No. Prospect Hospice is an organisation that operates on a £7.8m budget each year, and depends on the expert skills and experience of senior managers, clinical and nursing professionals, fundraisers, therapists, finance professionals, communicators, HR professionals and many more. Like all hospices in the UK, we are highly appreciative of the hundreds of skilled and experienced volunteers who give their time so generously towards our aims.
What do volunteers do at the hospice?
Volunteers have always been a vital part of the work of Prospect Hospice. They support our paid staff in all areas of our work, whether it’s helping sort stock in the retail distribution centre, delivering meals to patients on our inpatient unit or visiting patients in their own homes as Prospect@Home volunteers. We are very grateful to the hundreds of local people who volunteer for us – without their incredible contribution we couldn’t do what we do. There are a wide range of roles available. See our Volunteer Current Opportunities page in our Volunteering section.
Does the hospice only support patients?
Our patients are our foremost consideration, but they are not the only people who benefit from our services. We have a range of services specifically designed to help families and carers in coping with the challenges that the illness of a loved one brings. These include family support, practical planning, advocacy and children’s advice. The service extends to providing information on legal issue such as wills, lasting powers of attorney and parental guardianship. At least as many family members and carers access the support that is available through our services each year, reflecting our belief that, while we are here to care for patients, their families and carers often need our support too.
Is Prospect Hospice part of the NHS?
We are an independent local charity, not part of the NHS. Last year, however, we received 28.5% of our funding from the NHS and other statutory organisations. We believe the funding we receive is well-earned and represents excellent value to taxpayers. It makes an enormous difference to the care we offer patients and their families. We provide a professional service that is vital to the maintenance of high standards of end-of-life care for our community, and which the community voluntarily supports through fundraising. We believe that through working in partnership with the NHS, we help to ease the strain placed on it by an increasing, ageing population.
Doesn’t the NHS offer the same care?
No, the specialist care we offer is tailored to meet the individual needs of palliative patients.
Are your nurses Macmillan nurses?
No. Locally, the nurses and other staff funded by Macmillan Cancer Care all work primarily at the Great Western Hospital.
Is your Prospect@Home service the same as Marie Curie Cancer Care?
No. Prospect@Home was launched in 2008 to support patients at the end of their lives who would prefer, when it is possible, to stay at home for their last days and hours. It is a service that’s led by nurses, supported by professional carers and some highly-trained, dedicated volunteers, but importantly it is funded solely by Prospect Hospice.
Does most of the work you do happen at the hospice?
Most of the work we do doesn’t take place at the hospice building in Wroughton. Our Prospect@Home service provides care to patients in their own home, supporting people at the end of their lives in the place they choose to be. Our Prospect Community Nurse Specialists care for patients in the community from the very start of their journey, helping patients to live as independently as they can as they adapt to life after the diagnosis of a life-limiting condition. Our therapy, medical and family support teams also visit patients in their own homes. We also provide care and support for patients and their loved ones at our Wellbeing Centre at Savernake Hospital in Marlborough. In fact, most of the patients we meet will never actually enter the hospice, but be supported at home or by our team at the Great Western Hospital.
What happens on the inpatient unit?
We provide holistic care for people at the end of their lives. This includes symptom control for those struggling with pain or vomiting and emotional support and respite care for people with a life-limiting condition and their families.
Does the hospice really need my money?
Prospect Hospice gets just over a quarter of its annual funding from the National Health Service. This leaves us needing to raise millions of pounds each year to continue to provide our care. And with a growing, ageing population both locally and nationally, there will be an even greater need for our services in the years to come. Based on the growth in the number of patients we have cared for in recent years, our expectation is that even more people will seek our care and support in the years ahead. It is only through our continuing fundraising efforts that we can expand and introduce new services, deliver more care to more people and support more families struggling with the challenges that come with a loved one’s illness. So, we do need your support, and that of many other people, organisations and business across our community. We respect your support, and ensure that money is spent wisely, with 89p in every donated pound dedicated to the care and support of patients and their families.
Do the patients have to pay for their care?
Our services are free of charge for people from across the community, based on their need. Other factors, such as wealth, faith, gender and sexual orientation, are never a consideration. Currently, it costs more than £7.8 million each year to run our hospice. We receive 28.5% of this funding from the NHS and other statutory organisations and the remaining funds come from our generous supporters. We are always happy to accept donations towards our care if people feel they want to make them.
Are you still the Prospect Foundation?
We are Prospect Hospice. We used to be Prospect Foundation, but the name changed many years ago and is still often used affectionately by many people across our community who remember the work we did historically under that name. Similarly, we are not The Prospect, Prospect House or even The Prospect Hospice, all names that are used affectionately by people locally for who we are – Prospect Hospice.