Phil has kindly shared his experience with Barnsley Hospice after he was cared for on our Inpatient Unit in 2025. After being diagnosed with Bowel Cancer in August 2022 and subsequently discovering secondary cancers of the liver and lung, Phil faced a continuous cycle of being severely unwell and in and out of hospital for the past two years.
“Before coming to Barnsley Hospice, I felt I had nowhere else to go to get help with my symptoms.”
“When my Macmillan Nurse mentioned the hospice, my initial thought was ‘woah – I’m not dead yet!’, but she reassured me that there is more to the hospice than end of life care. I trusted her advice and felt I was out of other options, so willing to give it a try.”
Phil’s initial concerns were quickly put at ease upon arriving to the hospice, which he compared to a “five-star hotel”.
“When I got to the hospice, I immediately noticed how calm it felt, and I was asked which room I wanted out of the ones available. I know they can’t offer that all the time, but choice is a massive thing and that blew me away.”
“Everyone said hello and was so friendly, it’s like a little community. You don’t feel isolated; staff can spend time with you – whether they’re nurses or housekeeping.”
“To top it off, the food is absolutely fantastic! You get asked what you would like, and they tailor it to you.”
It wasn’t just Phil who felt at ease at the hospice: “My 14-year-old son didn’t like coming to see me when I was in the hospital, but he has felt so comfortable at the hospice while I’ve been here. He was often sat in the armchair in the corner of my room with his legs swung over the side!”
“Although the hospice doesn’t feel like a hospital, you still have the reassurance of knowing the quality of care and treatment is so high.”
“When it came to my care, everything was always a discussion, and the team respected my wishes. The hospice has advocated for me and worked with other specialists involved in my care to ensure everything is as joined up as possible before I leave.”
“I’m confident that even though I’m going home, I can still reach out to the team for their support if needed.”
After seeing first-hand the specialist care Phil received during his time at Barnsley Hospice, his Sister and Brother-in-law were inspired to complete the Barnsley 10K in support of the hospice.
Visit the ‘our services’ page on our website to find out more about the care and support we provide.
