The Hospice gives care and support to patients who have been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness and helps them make the best of a difficult but unavoidable outcome. At The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice, most of our patients have cancer. We also help the patient's family and friends cope with the demands of caring for their loved one and often continue our support through to bereavement. Thus while traditional medicine is designed to cure illness or at least to prevent death, we practise what is known as palliative care.

Palliative care aims to alleviate pain and control the more distressing symptoms associated with terminal illness. It does not prevent death or even necessarily slow down the process of dying. Our services provide physical, social, emotional and spiritual comfort, and help patients and carers make the best of the time remaining.

'Hospice' is not a building or a place but a philosophy of care. Anyone who has a diagnosis of terminal illness will need this kind of care at some level. Most patients, however, do not need to be referred to the Hospice as the primary care team can often provide such care themselves. Referral to the Hospice is made by the GP or hospital consultant when a patient has difficulty coping and is in need of specialist palliative care.

Not necessarily. Hospice patients often feel substantially better as a result of getting their physical and emotional distress in check. Hospice care is palliative care and palliation means care when there is no cure. Nevertheless, many patients with illnesses that cannot be cured may have months - even years - still to live. Sometimes people believe that a referral to a Hospice means that they are simply being sent off to die. In truth, whether or not death is imminent, the quality of the patient's remaining life is likely to be better because a Hospice has the time and specialist skills to make it so.

The District Nurse will assess your requirements and arrange for any special equipment to be supplied, free of charge, by community health care. This is normally minimal at first though requirements may increase as the illness progresses. But remember: the most important goal of home care is to enable the patient to remain in familiar, comforting surroundings so the last thing we want to do is try and turn your home into a hospital. All suggestions will have to do with making things as convenient, clean and safe as possible without unduly disrupting your household.

It depends on their age, health and emotional strength as well as the amount of care the patient needs at various stages of the illness. Each case is individual and the plan will be reassessed constantly by our Laurieston Nurse as well as the primary medical team (i.e., the GP and District Nurse). In addition to the patient's requirements, we will take into account how well carers are coping and look at areas where we may be able to provide additional support.

Probably not in the early stages of care - in fact, people often resent the 'hovering' and loss of independence that go with terminal illness. Once patients are too ill to get out of bed, they may wish to have someone with them as much as possible. One of the most common concerns patients have is the fear of dying alone. The actual process of dying can be quite long and drawn out and thus becomes even more physically and emotionally exhausting for the primary carer. Nobody should be expected to go through this alone. That means family and friends must try and work in shifts.

It's never easy and sometimes quite hard. Some people are better at it than others. Please do not think that the degree of difficulty reflects how much you actually love that person, or vice versa. We will help you cope where it's realistic to do so. Physically, home care can be very strenuous, requiring the carer to take on heavy tasks such as lifting, supporting, washing, etc, in addition to normal household routines. Very often primary carers are elderly and their own physical limitations must be taken into account. Emotionally, home care is also demanding. Most terminally ill patients will become frightened, depressed or angry at times, with the carer ending up on the receiving end of these very natural emotions. This is all the more distressing because the carer is usually a relative or close friend who actually does care. That's why we see our 'patient' as the carer as well as the person who is ill. Our Carer's Support Group meets at the Hospice to provide information and advice.

Hospice patients are visited by our Laurieston Nurses, who provide support for the family and liaise with the GP and the Hospice doctors regarding control of symptoms. If they are able, patients can spend the day at our Day Care Centre in Carlton Place, where they will receive clinical and social support while their carers have the day off. Patients may be admitted to the Hospice for a short term stay - for example, to get their symptoms under control or for respite care. If it becomes medically advisable or if care at home is no longer feasible, patients may be admitted to the Hospice's in-patient ward in the final stages of their illness. Despite the clinical surroundings, rules are very relaxed here and relatives and friends are helped to complete the process of caring for their loved one. Nights especially can be very long, lonely and frightening. Our staff are available round the clock to provide advice and support over the phone or to visit if the need arises.

A nursing home may be an option for a patient who is in a frail but stable condition.

Pain serves no useful purpose in terminal illness. Consequently, our medical staff are dedicated to working out the most effective plan for pain and symptom relief and this will always be based on an understanding of the individual's own coping mechanisms. Treatment normally involves combining advanced medications with a range of complementary therapies designed to keep the patient as comfortable, mobile and self sufficient as possible - for example, acupuncture, aromatherapy, reflexology and so on. The Hospice concept is holistic, which is to say we believe that emotional and spiritual distress are just as real as physical symptoms and must be addressed just as seriously. Thus we offer all types of support to our patients and their families, and often carry on our relationship with carers through bereavement. Equally, we respect the patient's right to privacy and would never intrude where we were not wanted.

There have been tremendous advances in palliative care in recent years. Relying on a powerful combination of medication, counselling and therapies, most patients can be kept relatively pain-free and comfortable.

Not normally. Our goal is to help the patient retain as much control over the process of dying as possible and, for most people, this means being pain-free but alert. As a result, we will monitor the situation constantly and adjust medication as required.

No. We welcome people of every religion, and of no religion too. In our experience, people faced with death often want to reflect on the meaning of life and we will support their spiritual needs in whatever way we can. Although we are strictly non-denominational, we employ a full-time chaplain for the benefit of our patients and their families and can contact outside spiritual advisers if they wish. Our nurses and doctors too are trained to offer spiritual support on an informal basis.

People cope in different ways, but there is invariably a tremendous adjustment to be made following the death of a loved one. At the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice, we will continue to serve as a point of contact for family and friends to help in resolving their grief. This may involve informal visits or, if need be, referrals to support groups in the community. Many people come through bereavement stronger and more compassionate than they ever were before. Indeed, some of our most dedicated volunteers first became known to us when they were themselves caring for a loved one.

Strictly speaking, we welcome all volunteers who approach us although we are careful to ensure that they are capable of handling sensitive and emotionally-demanding work. All volunteers go through a standard induction process to familiarise them with the philosophy and procedures of The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice. Volunteers may also be asked to undergo appropriate training if they are involved in certain aspects of Hospice services. Professional and vocational volunteers include doctors as well as technicians and therapists of all types - from acupuncturists to hairdressers. We also use volunteers for driving, catering, and visiting with patients. Others work behind the scenes or outside the Hospice as fundraisers or assistants in our shops. To learn more, see our Volunteers pages.

Absolutely nothing. Our services are provided free of charge, regardless of the financial circumstances of our patients. Actual costs: Operational costs are over £2.7 million a year. As an example, it takes close on to £30,000 to keep just one Laurieston Nurse on the road and we actually have six (full-time equivalents) working in the community at present. In addition, major building projects and expansion of services are capital expenditures which vary from year to year. The Day Care Centre, for example, required us to find an additional £1.1million to cover construction costs. The in-patient upgrade was £1.5 million.

The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice is a registered charity, limited by guarantee. We received welcome support from the NHS Greater Glasgow, but the majority of our budget - around 67% - comes from the generosity of the public in the form of private and corporate donations. To understand the constant pressure our fundraisers work under, we must find almost £5,000 in charitable donations every day of the year just to keep our doors open!

Whether you come to us as a patient or as a carer, you will never be asked and you must never feel obliged to contribute money or time to The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice in return for our services. In our experience, however, most people wish to acknowledge the care and compassion they have received at their time of need by helping us continue to be there for others. This is the lifeblood of the Hospice and we cannot overemphasise how much we depend on charitable donations. On our Supporting the Hospice pages, we have outlined a variety of ways in which you can help us continue our work.