In-Patient Unit & visitor guidelines

Visitor Guidelines

(Updated May 2023)

With immediate effect there is no longer a requirement to wear masks on the Hospice premises for the prevention of the spread of COVID 19, by staff, patients and visitors except where this is a part of an infection prevention control plan.

Our current arrangements are as follows for patients, visitors and service users:

  • There are no limits on the number of visitors a patient can have while staying on the In-Patient Unit.
  • Masks will continue to be made available and people can wear them if they so wish.

Masks will remain a part of universal precautions when we have an infective patient, this could be any infection requiring a mask as part of PPE, not just Covid 19.  If a patient is suspected or positive for Covid 19 masks will be worn while carrying out that patient’s care.

Our In-Patient Unit offers specialist, compassionate care

We are here to continue to care for you or loved one,  24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in a calming, relaxing environment.

In our In-Patient Unit (IPU) we deliver personalised care to suit your individual needs and we take the time to find out what’s important to you. Our highly trained, compassionate specialists can help to relieve your symptoms, keep you as active as you can manage, keep you comfortable and help relieve any pain.

You will stay in one of our private bedrooms that are light and airy and overlook the beautiful Willen Lake.

Being referred

You or your loved one can be referred to a Willen Hospice service by any healthcare professional, including a GP, Hospital Consultant, District Nurse or Social Services from Milton Keynes and surrounding areas.

If you’re an adult over 18, with a life limiting illness, you may be referred to us for specialist complex symptom control, including pain relief and management of distressing symptoms that are a result of your illness or treatment. You can be referred to either our In-Patient Unit or Willen at Home team, if you prefer to receive care in your own surroundings. Our calm, compassionate care is centred around your needs and those close to you.

Download our Referral & Admissions Policy below, for guidance on accessing all of our services. If you are a medical professional, find out how to refer your patient to Willen Hospice.

Advice Line

This telephone advice line is for clinical matters only and is to support patients, relatives and professionals outside office hours and at weekends. You can contact the team on: 01908 306962. It is a telephone advice line only and we regret that we are unable to go out and visit patients. There is an option to leave a message and someone will get back to you at the earliest opportunity.

If you feel you need to be seen in an emergency out of hours, we advise you to call 999.

Advance Care Planning

Well laid plans can give you and your loved ones peace of mind. You can record your wishes for your future or end of life care in an Advance Care Plan which others can refer to if they need to make decisions on your behalf.

In a typical year...
£11.23
our cost, per minute
11,000
phone calls to patients at home
600
fabulous volunteers
700
patients cared for at home
3,200
home visits
300
patients at the hospice
18,000
of cups of tea
290
counselling sessions
We can only provide the care we do thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, through their continued volunteering, fundraising and donations throughout the year. Your donation will enable us to continue providing care and support to those facing a life-limiting diagnosis, and to support their loved ones.