The Macmillan Unit at Christchurch Hospital is a Specialist Palliative Care Unit and Hospice for patients in South East Dorset and South West Hampshire. The charity, Macmillan Caring Locally, works in partnership with University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust to provide the services at the Macmillan Unit and in our community. The unit is supported and funded by Macmillan Caring Locally providing an exceptional standard of care and a homely environment for patients, their families and visitors. The charity also provides nursing and medical equipment to improve patient treatment and comfort.
The Macmillan Unit was awarded ‘Practice Development Status’ making it a Centre of Excellence for Palliative Care. The unit also received ‘The Princess Royal Training Award’ for the training and development of their volunteers in 2017 and were very proud to earn the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2018.
The charity funds the Family Support Team, Rehabilitation Team, the Community Specialist Palliative Care Nurses, the Hospice at Home Team, the virtual Day Centre and a number of senior medical staff roles at the Hospice. It also funds a team of Clinical Nurse Specialists permanently based at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust.
Macmillan Caring Locally is a small, community charity and is not connected in any way to the national charity Macmillan Cancer Support.
Our History
“Macmillan Caring Locally” formerly The Macmillan Cancer Trust was formed in 1974 and evolved from the fund raising committee for the building of the Macmillan Unit at Christchurch Hospital, the first of its kind in the country. During the final building stages of the Unit it was decided to form a Trust to be identified with the Unit and it was registered as a Charity on 25 July 1974 as “the Macmillan Cancer Trust”.
You can read about the fascinating history of the Macmillan Unit and our founder, the Hospice pioneer Dr Ronald Fisher here.
You can see our timeline from the 1970s to date here.
In 2009 the Trust was re-branded as “Macmillan Caring Locally”. The aims of the charity are to support those who are suffering from cancer and other life limiting illnesses where no cure is expected, and to provide help and support for the whole family.
“Macmillan Caring Locally” acts as the custodian of all funds donated towards its aims and both initiates and responds to a wide variety of needs supporting the N.H.S., primarily for the Macmillan Unit but also for other Cancer sufferers in South East Dorset and West Hampshire.
Macmillan Caring Locally is not connected in any way to the national charity Macmillan Cancer Support.
