Richard House Children’s Hospice is a sanctuary for over 300 life-limited children and their families. We are supporting the NHS through the admission of additional seriously ill children who would otherwise have remained in hospital. This enables the NHS to care for more COVID-19 patients as cases within the local community rise.  

Many of the children and families at Richard House are in the high-risk category of severe illness from coronavirus. By supporting the NHS, Richard House can continue to keep seriously ill children and their families safe, with admissions ranging from complex cases, end of life and step-down care. Libby Basson, Director of Care said:  

“We will continue to support the NHS and our community and continue to deliver Hospice at Home. The safety of our children and families, staff and volunteers come first, with the increased risk the new variant of COVID-19 poses we have increased our safety measures” 

In order to maximise safety, updated measures include: 

Essential staff only working within the hospice building   

• Rapid testing prior to entering the hospice 
• Handwashing and temperature recording on arrival 
• Clean and correct uniform is changed into once at the hospice 
• Clean indoor shoes are worn inside the hospice, or blue shoe coverings 
• Correct PPE is worn at all times and changed between each task. 
• A face mask is worn at all times 
• Only 2 staff are permitted to be at the nurse’s station at any one time, 2 meters apart 

The hospice has not been immune to the effects of coronavirus, the pandemic halted many fundraising events and activities last year, but we remain hopeful that Covid secure events can take place this year, particularly with the news of the vaccine and rapid testing. Thanks to the support we received, our children and families can continue to make lasting, happy memories. The Richard House family would also like to extend their thanks to the hardworking care team who have continue to provide quality, lifeline care for our families. We rely heavily on the generosity of donors to carry out our vital work for seriously ill children and their families. With the rise of the recession, a gap in fundraising income in the future is likely coupled with high, national unemployment rates, support a life today. 

https://richardhouse.org.uk/donate/