Hospices
Katharine House Hospice (Stafford)
Weston Road, Stafford ST16 3SB
Overview
Katharine House Hospice is a specialist palliative care facility located in Stafford, serving the local community and surrounding areas. As an independent hospice, it provides compassionate end-of-life care and support for patients with life-limiting illnesses, alongside vital services for their families and carers.
The hospice offers a range of services including inpatient care in its comfortable residential setting, day care programmes, and community outreach services. Staff members work to manage symptoms, provide emotional and spiritual support, and help patients maintain quality of life during their final months. The organisation also offers bereavement counselling and support to help families cope with loss.
Katharine House Hospice relies on a combination of NHS funding and charitable donations to deliver its services. The dedicated team of healthcare professionals, volunteers, and support staff work together to create a caring environment focused on dignity, comfort, and person-centred care. The hospice plays an important role in the health and social care provision across Staffordshire.
Frequently Asked Questions
Katharine House Hospice (Stafford) in Stafford 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 01785 254645 for information about available services.
Yes, all hospice care at Katharine House Hospice (Stafford) 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 Katharine House Hospice (Stafford) are usually made by your GP, hospital consultant, or district nurse. You or your family can also contact Katharine House Hospice (Stafford) directly on 01785 254645 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 Katharine House Hospice (Stafford) 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.
Katharine House Hospice (Stafford) 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.
Katharine House Hospice (Stafford) 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.
The day hospice at Katharine House Hospice (Stafford) 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.
Katharine House Hospice (Stafford) 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.
Yes, Katharine House Hospice (Stafford) 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.
Yes, Katharine House Hospice (Stafford) 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 01785 254645 for information about bereavement services.
You can support Katharine House Hospice (Stafford) 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 01785 254645 or visit the website to find out more about supporting your local hospice.
Yes, Katharine House Hospice (Stafford) 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.