Marie Curie Cancer Care

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Marie Curie Cancer Care is a charitable organization (a Registered Charity) in the United Kingdom which provides nursing care, free of charge, to terminally ill people, giving them the chance to choose to be cared for – and die – at home. Its registered office is located at Albert Embankment in London. It also has ten hospices for people who need temporary respite care or final care; these are more home-like than standard hospital environments. Named after the Polish-French scientist Marie Curie, the Charity also undertakes research into the causes of cancer and improved cancer treatments at the Marie Curie Research Institute in Oxted, Surrey.

Every year the charity provides care to around 25,000 cancer patients and their families – entirely free of charge. Marie Curie Nurses now care for around 50 percent of all cancer patients who live at home.

At the ten Marie Curie Hospices, quality of life for patients is actively promoted as is providing much needed support for their carers. Marie Curie provides the largest number of hospice beds outwith the National Health Service (NHS).

Marie Curie Hospices:

Belfast
Bradford
Caterham
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Hampstead, London
Liverpool
Newcastle
Penarth, nr Cardiff
Solihull
Tiverton

In the financial year 2005-2006 the Charity will spend around £45.4 million directly on the care of people with cancer and their families, with a further £3.7 million going towards research. The NHS contributes around 38 percent of the costs, with the remaining 62 percent coming from Marie Curie Cancer Care and its supporters. The Charity has a policy of keeping its reserve funds down at around four months of prevailing expenditure.

Tesco announced that Marie Curie Cancer Care is to be its charity of the year 2008, the company is aiming to raise £2.5 million, as well as sponsorship and generous donations from staff.