Q. What does the Hospice do?

A. The Martlets looks after adults who are approaching the end of their life.This care is aimed at alleviating the distressing symptons associated with serious illness as well as providing specialist emotional support for the families and carers through the illness and into bereavement. Typically patients may be in the last year or less of their illness, they may visit the Hospice or be under the care of the Hospice services, several times. Maintaining the best possible quality of life and supporting independence are our chief aims.

Q. Do you only care for patients with cancer?

A. No, increasingly we are looking after patients with complex long term conditions who are near the end of their life. The Day Hospice and Martlets @ Home in particular, have a rapidly increasing percentage of such patients.

Q. What facilities and services does the Martlets offer?

A. An 18-bedded in-patient unit; a Day Hospice offering a range of activities and therapies and out patient consultations; bereavement and counselling services; a Hospice @ Home service. A respite service within the Martlets @ Home is being developed and will be available from November.

Q. Who provides the service?

A. A team of professional, clinical, nursing, social workers and counselling staff supported by catering, domestic, administrative and fundraising personnel provide our services. A large number of volunteers also make a significant contribution to the welfare of patients and their families and to fundraising.

Q. Who is the Hospice for?

A.Hospice services are available to all adult members of the local communities, including Portslade, Hove, Brighton and those situated along the coast to Newhaven, inland to Lewes and back along the line of the Downs. Care is provided on the basis of medical need.

Q. How does one access the Hospice?

A.Access to the Martlets and Martlets @ Home is via medical referral from the GP, District Nurse, Macmillan Community Team or Hospital Consultant. The Hospice is the base of the Macmillan Community Team (MCT).

Q. What does it cost to use the Hospice?

A.Care is provided to patients free of charge although all of our patients and their families contribute voluntarily to the cost of their care. As an independent charity, the Hospice is largely dependent upon the generosity of the local community to pay for patients' care.

Q. How is care funded?

A.The Hospice is not part of the NHS and must generate over £4.2 million to ensure the continuation of Hospice services, 30% of this funding is received from the local Primary Care Trust, however the remaining £3 million needed each year must be generated via fundraising activities.

Q. How many patients does the hospice care for in a year.

A. In the year ending 31st March 2008, the Martlets in-patient unit had 334 admissions, the Martlets @ Home Team cared for 217 patients and there were 1,682 day hospice attendances. The average length of stay in the in-patient unit was 15 days.

Q. How can I help?

A. There are many ways in which you can support your local Hospice. Please browse these web pages to find out about what we do and how you can join in.

Q. What is meant by the term "Palliative Care?

A.Palliative Care affirms life and regards dying as a normal process. Care neither hastens nor postpones death. Palliative Care provides relief from pain and other distressing symptons. It integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care and offers a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death. Palliative Care also offers a support system to help the family to cope during the patient's illness and in their own bereavement.

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