The Myton Hospices has launched an urgent appeal to raise £240,000 which could fund the recruitment, training and salary for five registered nurses for a year, to ensure more people in Coventry and Warwickshire can access a Hospice Bed.

More people need a hospice bed now than ever before, with demand for the charity's inpatient units has increased by 11 per cent in the last 12 months.

Myton said three out of five people on its waiting list for a bed will die before they can access one.

With just 20 per cent of its costs covered by statutory funding, and annual running costs at an all-time high of £14.3 million, Myton will be relying on voluntary support of £11 million this year alone to continue providing its existing services free of charge to patients and their loved ones.

Ruth Freeman, chief executive officer at The Myton Hospices, said: "At The Myton Hospices, we passionately believe that every person who needs a Hospice Bed should have access to one and that no-one who is at the end of life should be on a waiting list.

"People who have experienced or witnessed the impact of being cared for in a Hospice Bed know just how important it is in controlling symptoms, such as pain and anxiety, by providing specialist, tailored support for patients and their families.

"Everyone has the right to a good death with their loved ones supported, and we need urgent help to ensure we can provide the palliative and end of life care people need and deserve."