Sharon Fairclough, from the South Bucks Hospice, based at Butterfly House, writes this week to talk about Hospice Care Week - and how you can support their vital work.

This week is Hospice Care Week in the UK and, as Director of Clinical Care Services at South Bucks Hospice, it gives me a great excuse to talk about the incredible work that hospices do up and down the country.

In my work at the South Bucks Hospice, I see the devastating impact that a diagnosis of a life-threatening illness has on patients and those close to them.

I hear people describe such a moment as if “time freezes”. They often have difficulty processing what is happening to them and understanding the treatment that lies ahead.

Following diagnosis, a long period of treatment can take place, both to treat the underlying disease and to manage symptoms. Many treatments are invasive and cause side effects.

It is during this time of fear and uncertainty that hospices offer a haven of much-needed support for patients, families and carers to receive the individual, couple or family support that they need.

According to Hospice UK, each year more than 200,000 terminally-ill people receive hospice care across the UK.

That doesn’t include the much-needed support that hospices provide to their carers. This number is set to increase as people live longer and develop more complex and chronic conditions.

Hospice Care Week gives us the opportunity to celebrate the amazing work that hospices do to help adults, young people and children living with life-limiting conditions to live life as fully as possible.

This includes recognising the many wonderful skilled professionals who work for them, and also those who volunteer, giving up their time for free to support their services.

This week also sees World Hospice and Palliative Care Day. So at South Bucks Hospice, based at Butterfly House in High Wycombe, we have a double reason to celebrate. Please join us in continuing to support hospices by donating, volunteering or, simply, spreading the word about the important work that we do.

For more information about the hospice and its services, visit www.sbh.org.uk, write to nurses@sbhospice.org.uk or call 01494 552755.