A Gloucestershire medical consultant will feature as part of a BBC Lifeline appeal this month on behalf of the national healthcare and bereavement charity, Sue Ryder, which runs Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice in Gloucestershire.
As Palliative Care Consultant at Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice, Dr Paul Perkins has given medical care to hundreds of Gloucestershire people living with a life-limiting illness, supporting many more of their family and friends in the process.
And as well as providing hands-on care for people in Gloucestershire, Dr Paul heads up Sue Ryder’s medical operations across the country too.
Paul said, ”It was brilliant welcoming BBC film crews to Gloucestershire’s only hospice with an inpatient unit and to have the opportunity to share more about what we do and the support we need with potentially hundreds of thousands of TV viewers.”
“Not many people understand what hospices are or know about the care we give. Sue Ryder is there when it matters, providing palliative care from the very point of diagnosis if needed, to offering expert symptom control during their treatment, right through to being at people’s bedside at the end of life, whether that be in a hospice like Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice, or in their home if that’s their wish.”
“The care Sue Ryder gives does not end there – we also offer a range of free bereavement services for those who are grieving, including an online bereavement community, free online bereavement counselling, a self-help bereavement platform and Sue Ryder Grief Kind Spaces, of which we have X in Gloucestershire.”
Paul hopes featuring on the BBC Lifeline will help Sue Ryder raise awareness of the issues people face when living with a life-limiting condition. He also hopes it will help get more people talking about these often difficult topics.
“Dying and grief are universal experiences, but too many people face them alone. Data shows that 50% of all people dying in England receive palliative, but estimates suggest up to 90% need this care each year.
“What’s more demand for our online bereavement services have never been higher – with a staggering 86% of people who have experienced grief having told us they have felt alone in their grief.”
“I hope viewers who see the appeal will find out more about the support which is out there available to them, for free, here in Gloucestershire.”
Sue Ryder’s BBC Lifeline appeal comes at a time hospice charities are warning how they are struggling to make ends meet amidst rising costs to deliver their services.
Sue Ryder is encouraging people to tune into the BBC Lifeline appeal, which will be broadcast on BBC1 18 August at 1.50pm to find out more about their services and the appeal. The appeal will also be repeated on BBC2 on 23 August at 12.50.