MYTH - St. Margaret’s Somerset Hospice delivers care solely from the hospices.

Reality

St. Margaret’s Somerset Hospice provides care throughout Somerset and in the neighbouring borders of Devon and Dorset. There are hospices in Taunton and Yeovil each having sixteen beds for patients who need to stay and a Day Care centre for patients who can benefit from a weekly visit. We also have outpatient facilities which offer essential treatments for patients suffering from conditions such as breathlessness and lymphoedema. Hospitals in Taunton and Yeovil both have St. Margaret’s Hospital Specialist Palliative Care teams based within them. There are over fourteen St. Margaret’s community nurses working from bases throughout the county, working alongside GPs and District Nurses. Their role is to care for patients in their homes and provide specialist advice and support. Last year 1,206 new patients were registered with our community nurses. More recently a new service has been created specifically to provide 24 hour hands-on care to patients wanting to be at home at the end of their lives. This “hospice at home’ service offers 24 hour care within patient’s home environments (subject to need) and is often an essential support to families. Last year 13,734 hours of care were provided by this service to patients across the whole community we serve.