New palliative care services to be offered in south Oxfordshire and west Berkshire
Sue Ryder has been awarded a major NHS contract
Healthcare charity Sue Ryder has been awarded a major new NHS contract to grow its palliative and end-of-life care services across Reading, Wokingham, Newbury and South Oxfordshire.
Starting in January 2026, the new services will help more local people living with life-limiting conditions access palliative and end-of-life care to manage their symptoms, provide comfort, and improve their quality of life, often in their own home.
“This is a major step forward for people in Berkshire West and South Oxfordshire who deserve expert, compassionate care at the end of their lives,” said Louise Lucio, Regional Director at Sue Ryder. “Too many people across the UK still face dying and grief without the support they need, and here at Sue Ryder we want to change that.
"Our charity supports people who are dying to live well and supports families through grief. Our new partnership with the NHS here in the South East means we can reach more people earlier with our support, whether that is at home, in the community, or in Sue Ryder‘s specialist hospice beds.
“It’s a big step towards Sue Ryder's vision of a society where everyone gets the care and support they deserve at the end of their lives. We’re excited to be working with our partners in the NHS to help build a joined-up way of delivering the care people need, particularly for those who might be struggling to access palliative and end-of-life care.”
The long-term partnership with the NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (NHS BOB ICB) will bring in a number of new and improved services, including a brand-new Hospice at Home service in Berkshire West, prioritising comfort and quality of life for patients who wish to be at home.
It will also see the launch of a ‘Virtual Ward’ service across the region, which will provide hospital-level care to people in their own homes to help keep them out of hospital.
Included in the new-look service will be a dedicated out of hours clinical advice line for patients, their families and their carers alongside bereavement support, therapy and wellbeing services.
Zoe Woods, Deputy Director of Transformation at NHS BOB ICB, said, “Everyone deserves to feel cared for and supported at the end of their life and in their grief. This partnership with Sue Ryder means more people in our region will have access to the kind of compassionate, high-quality care that makes a real difference, not just to patients, but to families and carers too. We’re proud to be making this investment in our communities.”
Beginning in January 2026, the services will be delivered by Sue Ryder Nurses, doctors, care teams and volunteers, with the charity now making preparations ahead of the January launch.
The new agreement between the NHS and Sue Ryder has generated a number of new jobs for the region. Sue Ryder is currently recruiting for Senior Healthcare Assistants to join its new Hospice at Home Team which will be caring for communities in Berkshire West from the New Year.
Find out more about what it is like working in palliative and end of life care, with one of the UK’s largest healthcare charities at sueryder.org/palliativecareers