Introducing The Hospice Heart: the new podcast from Saint Francis Hospice
Saint Francis Hospice is launching The Hospice Heart during Hospice Care Week (5-11 October 2026), a national campaign highlighting the vital role hospices play in supporting people and families across the UK.
The new podcast aims to encourage open and honest conversations about grief, death, dying and hospice care, while sharing the experiences of those at the heart of our hospice and wider community. Through powerful personal reflections, expert insight and meaningful discussion, each episode will explore the moments that reveal what hospice care truly means.
"We're so excited to be launching The Hospice Heart during Hospice Care Week," said Jules Knowler, Director of Communication & Community Engagement at Saint Francis Hospice.
"The first series will feature six episodes, bringing together hospice colleagues, volunteers and people with lived experience of hospice care.
"This year's Hospice Care Week theme, 'Don't leave hospice care to chance', highlights the importance of ensuring everyone can access the care and support they need at the end of life, while also drawing attention to the need for sustainable funding so hospices can continue providing vital care and support to local communities, now and in the future.
"Death, dying and grief touch all of our lives, yet many people still find these conversations difficult. Our podcast aims to create a safe, accessible and compassionate space where listeners can hear personal experiences, learn from expert insight and gain a deeper understanding of hospice care. By sharing these conversations, we hope to challenge misconceptions and help people feel more comfortable talking about some of life's most difficult subjects."
While honest conversations about death and grief are an important part of the podcast, hospice care is about much more than the end of life. It is about people, relationships, dignity, choice and helping people live as well as possible for as long as possible. Helping more people access support earlier in their illness is a key priority for Saint Francis Hospice. As a hospice serving communities across Brentwood, Havering, Barking & Dagenham, Redbridge and West Essex, Saint Francis Hospice is continually working to raise awareness of its services, encourage earlier referrals and ensure more people can benefit from the support available. The Hospice Heart provides a new way to connect with local communities, reach new audiences and highlight the difference hospice care can make to individuals and their loved ones.
The podcast is hosted by Ryan Curtis, a volunteer at Saint Francis Hospice. Ryan has a deeply personal connection to the hospice. His mum received care at Saint Francis Hospice in early 2022 and died peacefully at the hospice later that year. This experience gives him a unique understanding of the impact hospice care can have, while his professional background in communications and storytelling helps bring these important conversations to life.
"Hosting The Hospice Heart podcast is an absolute privilege," said Ryan.
"Each episode is a powerful reminder of the strength, kindness and connection found within Saint Francis Hospice. I hope listeners find these conversations as inspiring and thought-provoking as I have. Most importantly, I hope the podcast helps people feel more confident having conversations that can sometimes feel difficult and gives them a greater understanding of the support hospice care can provide."
Please listen to and share The Hospice Heart with your friends, family, colleagues and wider networks. Every listen and every share can help more people understand hospice care, discover the support available and connect with the compassion at the heart of Saint Francis Hospice.
The podcast will be available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, as well as through the Saint Francis Hospice website. Episodes will be released from October to early December, with the first two episodes launching during Hospice Care Week (5-11 October), followed by new episodes every fortnight.
