'You matter because you are you. You will matter until the last moment of your life and we will help you not only to die peacefully but to live as full as possible until the moment you die". Dame Cecily Saunders, Founder of St.Christopher's Hospice, London.

There are more than 500 new cases of cancer in Kerry each year. One person in thirty will develop bowel cancer, the same number will suffer from lung cancer. Breast cancer affects one in twelve women, and prostate cancer one in twenty men. Since 1990 the Kerry Hospice Foundation has been involved in leading planning and organising the development of Palliative Care Services in Kerry in Partnership with the Health Service Executive.

Current Services

Patients are cared for in their own homes and in the community hospitals by their G.P's, the public health nurses, the community nurse & the hospital team. At present these teams work in conjunction with the six specially trained Palliative Care Nurses, a Palliative Care Consultant and a team of Junior Doctors.

Future Plans

The committee of the Kerry Hospice Foundation in conjunction with the Health Service Executive have built a new Palliative Day Centre within the grounds of Kerry General Hospital. The project is very important to cancer patients and their families in Kerry. The cost of this project was in the region of €3,200,000 of which the Kerry Hospice Foundation provided €3 million. This was a very big undertaking for the committee of the Kerry Hospice Foundation and with the suuport of the people of Kerry this facility is now in place.

The next phase after this is a hospice building, which will have in patient beds. The new unit will be staffed by Nurses, Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist, designated palliative care Physiotherapist and Social Worker, secretarial support, Consultant in Palliative Medicine and a team of junior Doctors.