Pedalling hard for hospices

With end-of-life care facing mounting financial pressures, Dr Rosemary Leonard is getting on her bike to raise funds for one of the pioneers of the hospice movement

- HANNA GEISSLER

Locals in the medieval market towns of northern France may witness an unusual sight this week - a stream of four dozen Lycra-clad cyclists, including health expert Dr Rosemary Leonard, pedalling hard en route from London's Crystal Palace to the Palace of Versailles.

Their epic 300-mile challenge is set to unfold over four days in aid of St Christopher's Hospice, the home of the modern hospice movement, founded by Dame Cicely Saunders in 1967.

Former TV GP Dr Rosemary is prepared for a "sore bum" but says the pain will be more than worth it for their cause - St Christopher's provides crucial end-of-life care to around 7,000 dying people across south London every year.

Although partly funded by the NHS, the charity must raise £16.7million every year to keep wards open and continue providing care in people's homes. "I work in South East London so I'm very aware of the wonderful work St Christopher's does," says Dr Rosemary, who writes a weekly Daily Express column. "How we would function and provide end-of-life care for our patients without them, I just don't know. They're absolutely wonderful.

IMPORTANT

"We are all going to die at some point and for me, providing somebody with a good, peaceful death is as important as bringing a baby safely into the world. As a GP, I look after people throughout their life. It's beginning-to-end care that we provide - and the end is so important."

St Christopher's helped to pioneer the field of palliative medicine almost 60 years ago after nurse and physician Dame Cicely recognised the inadequacy of care being offered to those dying in hospitals.

Her efforts combined medical and nursing expertise with holistic support, compassionate care and clinical research for the first time. In 1969, she launched the first home care team, taking the hospice's revolutionary philosophy out into the community.