HRH The Princess Royal visited Dorothy House Hospice Care yesterday, (Tuesday, 21st June) to celebrate its 40th Birthday and the legacy of outstanding care for 45,000 patients, carers and families since 1976. HRH was presented to patients, volunteers and staff during a tour of the hospice.

This was HRH Princess Anne’s seventh visit to the hospice. Her first visit was to open the first Dorothy House on Bloomfield Road in Bath on 7th November 1987, and in December 1987, she agreed to become the hospice’s Royal visitor. Since then, she has opened Dorothy House in Winsley and later their Outreach Centre in Trowbridge in September 2012.

During Tuesday’s visit, HRH The Princess Royal also opened Dorothy House’s new 40th anniversary exhibition and film, which is open to the public from today, (Wednesday 22nd June) and will tour fifteen venues across Somerset and Wiltshire this summer.

John Davies, Chief Executive at Dorothy House, said: “We were honoured to welcome HRH The Princess Royal to Dorothy House to celebrate forty years of palliative and end of life care. She is a great advocate of the hospice and her visit provides a fantastic opportunity for us to reach out to more people across our 700 square mile region. The royal visit also helps us build awareness of the essential support and services we provide to 900 patients per day who are living with a life-limiting illness.

“Our mission is to pioneer care and support for the wellbeing and cohesion of our community, so we may all live well until we die and do so peacefully when the time comes. My thanks to all who make Dorothy House the special place it is.” 

Tracey Bleakley, Chief Executive of national hospice care charity, Hospice UK, said: “Celebrating forty years of providing hospice care is a real milestone. It is incredible to think that over the last four decades, Dorothy House Hospice Care has supported more than 45,000 people to receive high quality, compassionate care at the end of life. As a leading care provider in the Somerset and Wiltshire region, the Hospice is renowned for its pioneering approach in palliative and end of life care. We at Hospice UK extend our congratulations to everyone at Dorothy House Hospice Care and are delighted that HRH The Princess Royal visited the hospice to mark this fortieth Anniversary.”

Kate Tompkins, Chair of Trustees for Dorothy House, said: “The new exhibition and film really got to the heart of what Dorothy House does best; the hospice connects patients with each other, through a range of programmes and complementary therapies, also providing vital support for families and carers. Their Outreach Centres, Day Patient services and network of hugely popular Dorothy House charity shops make a real difference where and when it matters most.”

Volunteer, Biddy Walcot, said: “It was lovely to be involved in such a milestone for the hospice and understand how vital volunteers and supporters are to its survival."