Hospices
Arthur Rank Hospice Charity
Cherry Hinton Road, Shelford Bottom, Cambridge CB22 3FB
Overview
Arthur Rank Hospice Charity is a specialist palliative care provider located in Cambridge, serving patients across Cambridgeshire and surrounding areas. Named after Arthur Rank, the hospice has established itself as a leading independent charitable organisation dedicated to providing high-quality end-of-life care and support to people facing terminal illness.
The hospice offers a comprehensive range of services including inpatient care, day care programmes, community nursing services, and bereavement support for families and loved ones. Their multidisciplinary team comprises doctors, nurses, therapists, and support staff who work to manage pain and symptoms whilst enhancing quality of life during challenging times.
Arthur Rank Hospice Charity relies heavily on donations and fundraising to sustain its operations, as it receives only partial NHS funding. The organisation is committed to ensuring that no patient is turned away due to inability to pay, reflecting its charitable mission to provide accessible, compassionate care to all who need it regardless of financial circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions
Arthur Rank Hospice Charity in Cambridge provides specialist palliative care for people with life-limiting conditions. Services may include inpatient care, day hospice services, hospice at home (care in your own home), outpatient clinics, bereavement support for families, lymphoedema clinic, complementary therapies, and counselling. All care focuses on comfort, quality of life, and dignity. Contact 01223 675777 for information about available services.
Yes, all hospice care at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity is provided free of charge to patients and their families, regardless of financial circumstances. Hospices receive some NHS funding but rely heavily on charitable donations, fundraising, retail shops, and legacies to fund their services. It costs millions of pounds each year to run a hospice, with a significant proportion raised through community support.
Referrals to Arthur Rank Hospice Charity are usually made by your GP, hospital consultant, or district nurse. You or your family can also contact Arthur Rank Hospice Charity directly on 01223 675777 to discuss a referral. Referrals are based on clinical need — anyone with a life-limiting condition can be considered. You do not have to have cancer to be referred; hospices care for people with any advanced illness including heart failure, COPD, motor neurone disease, and dementia.
No, hospice care is not just about end-of-life care. Many patients visit Arthur Rank Hospice Charity for symptom management (pain relief, breathlessness, nausea), rehabilitation and support to stay as well as possible, respite stays to give carers a break, and day hospice activities and therapies. Some patients attend for weeks or months and then return home. Hospice care aims to help you live as fully and comfortably as possible.
Yes, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity can help you with advance care planning — documenting your wishes for future care. This may include an Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment (living will), Lasting Power of Attorney for health and welfare, preferred place of care and death, and a ReSPECT form (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment). Having these conversations and documents in place ensures your wishes are known and respected.
Arthur Rank Hospice Charity may offer a Hospice at Home service, bringing specialist palliative care to patients in their own homes. This may include visits from specialist nurses, overnight care and sitting services, symptom management, practical support, and emotional support for patients and families. Hospice at Home allows people to be cared for and, if they wish, to die in the comfort and familiarity of their own home.
Yes, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity welcomes visitors and families. Visiting is usually flexible, with no strict visiting hours in the inpatient unit. Family rooms and overnight facilities may be available for relatives who wish to stay close. Children are welcome to visit. The hospice environment is designed to be calm, comfortable, and homelike. Staff will support families throughout their loved one's stay.
The day hospice at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity provides a programme of care and activities for patients who live at home. You may attend one or two days per week for medical review and symptom management, complementary therapies (massage, aromatherapy, reflexology), creative activities (art, music), social interaction and peer support, physiotherapy and occupational therapy, and psychological support. Transport to and from the day hospice may be arranged.
You can support Arthur Rank Hospice Charity by making a donation, volunteering your time, shopping at or donating to charity shops, taking part in fundraising events, leaving a gift in your will (legacy giving), organising your own fundraising activity, or becoming a regular donor. Contact 01223 675777 or visit the website to find out more about supporting your local hospice.
Arthur Rank Hospice Charity supports people with any life-limiting condition, not just cancer. Conditions include advanced cancer, heart failure, COPD and other lung diseases, motor neurone disease (MND), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease, advanced dementia, kidney failure, and liver failure. Referral is based on clinical need, and the hospice team works alongside your GP and hospital team.
Arthur Rank Hospice Charity may offer complementary therapies including massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, Reiki, acupuncture, mindfulness and relaxation, creative arts therapy, and music therapy. These therapies complement medical treatment and can help with pain, anxiety, sleep, and overall wellbeing. All therapies are provided by qualified practitioners and are free to patients.
Yes, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity provides bereavement support for families and loved ones after a patient has died. This may include one-to-one counselling, bereavement support groups, telephone support, memorial services, and children and young people's bereavement services. Support is available regardless of whether the person died at the hospice or elsewhere. Contact 01223 675777 for information about bereavement services.