2010; Quantock House, funded jointly at the time with NHS Somerset, was opened for business. It operated as a respite centre for 8 years before being decommissioned in September 2018.
Our 5 year strategy to further build direct community support through the 'Hospice without Walls' strategy was also launched with the aim to be a 24/7 service. This coincided with the launch of the Central Referral Centre offering direct advice to patients and carers, day and night; allowing referrals to all services with just one call.
2011; Day Care Centre services were re-designed and re-branded, becoming 'Sunflower Centres', a service that offers a great deal more variety and choice for patients and their carers including symptom control, respite care and support for those experiencing social isolation.
2014; Two independent living suites to support patient discharges using funds from the Department of Health were opened, known as the Taunton and Yeovil Sunflower Suites.
In June St Margaret’s Hospice holds it's first major fundraising concert under the banner of Somerset Rocks, where Rod Stewart performed at the Somerset County Cricket Ground in front of 18,500 spectators. The event was a huge success and raised £150,000 for St Margaret’s Hospice.
2015; In the face of a growing elderly population and funding constraints, St Margaret’s takes a proactive approach to the future provision of end of life care and launches a ground breaking community review, called ‘Fit for Future’.
2016; The final report on our Fit for Future review and consultation is published. As part of the study, a review panel was chaired by Lord Paddy Ashdown, including Macmillan Cancer Support and Marie Curie Cancer Care, together with a wide range of representative voices from the community, doctors, commissioners and health managers, as well as patients, carers and spiritual groups. The report analyses the key challenges and opportunities facing St Margaret’s and outlines options for delivering care in a way that is sustainable for the future.
2017; Lord Lieutenant of Somerset Annie Maw unveils a new Celebration Tree in the reception area of our Yeovil hospice. The artwork offers a way to celebrate life, love and friendship while raising vital funds. Our Taunton hospice gets its own Celebration Tree soon afterwards.
2018; St Margaret’s becomes the first hospice to launch its own funeral service, with the opening of our first funeral home in Taunton.
St Margaret’s receives the Hospice of the Year Award from Charity Today.
After being accredited as a Project ECHO (Extension of Community Healthcare Outcomes) Hub, St Margaret’s Hospice starts hosting online sessions to share specialist end of life care knowledge with other care providers in Somerset.
2019; Embracing new technology to improve our services, the first phase of our new patient and carer portal is launched, providing an online system enabling patients to view and contribute to their personal clinical notes. This unique system also provides an alternative way to refer into our services, improving accessibility for patients, families and healthcare professionals.