Last week, Julia Lopez the Member of Parliament for Hornchurch and Upminster, met with the new CEO of St. Francis Hospice, Grazina Berry, to discuss hospice funding and how to provide better end of life care as the hospice celebrates 40 years of serving the local community.
The Hospice, which is well known throughout Havering in part thanks to its high street shops, turns 40 this year and provides vital holistic end of life care and support for local people and their loved ones. Last Friday, Mrs Lopez visited the hospice to meet with the new CEO, Grazina Berry, who took up the role in October 2023.
The MP and Chief Exec discussed the nature of the support provided by the hospice, which goes beyond purely medical intervention and pain relief which is often associated with hospice care. The two spoke about the holistic nature of the services provided, including mental health and wellbeing services which the hospice provides to both patients, as well as their loved ones.
Hospice funding was also a key topic of conversation, with the CEO highlighting some of the challenges faced by St. Francis, as well as other hospices in the wider industry. The hospice continues to receive strong community backing and fundraising efforts, with community fundraising supporting around 12 of the 18 beds available at the site.
Julia Lopez MP said:
I would like to say thank you to Grazina for taking time out of her busy schedule to meet with me recently, as well as for all the amazing work that the team at St. Francis do for local people and their families. I know how much our community values St. Francis as they have been there for so many people during their most difficult times.
Making sure that people have access to good quality end of life care is really important. People deserve dignity during the final stages of their lives and ensuring that our hospices have the funding they need is a big part of that. As the local MP for Hornchurch and Upminster, I will support St. Francis Hospice wherever I can.
Work done by the hospice means that many patients can decide how they would prefer to spend their final days. In addition to having a number of patients on site at the hospice, many are supported by the charity off site also, meaning that residents can spend their final days in the comfort of their own home.
During the visit, the CEO showed Mrs Lopez the Pepperell Education Centre, St Francis’ conferencing and events centre, in which the charity provides training courses to health and social care professionals through courses and study days.
