Marie Curie launches end of life care service at Enfield hospital. 25/08/2026 Last Updated: 25/08/2026 End-of-life charity, Marie Curie, has launched a new specialist palliative care support service within the emergency department (ED) of North Middlesex University Hospital (NMUH) in Enfield. The service will see two Palliative Care Consultants, a Clinical Fellow and a team of Marie Curie Nurses and Healthcare Assistants working closely with hospital colleagues at NMUH to improve experiences for patients in the last year of life, and their families. The aim is to help identify patients with palliative care needs earlier during emergency admissions, support clinical decision-making and coordinate the most appropriate care, ensuring they are treated with dignity and that their wishes are met. The two-year project - set up and funded by Marie Curie in partnership with Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust - comes at a pivotal time, as recent Marie Curie research revealed that almost 1 in 3 people currently die without the end-of-life care they need. Further Marie Curie research has shown the demand for palliative care support in hospitals, as 1 in 8 people who died in England and Wales in 2023 spent more than 30 days in hospital during their last three months of life, and almost half visited the ED once or more. This demonstrates the need for more focus on supporting early discharges to patients' preferred place of care as well as better integration within community services to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions. Dr Antke Hagena, Marie Curie Consultant and Department Lead for Palliative Care at NMUH NHS Trust, began working out of the ED in December 2024. The service saw 280 patients in the first six months, and for 73% of these patients this was their first contact with palliative care. To build on the success of this early work, a new team of two Marie Curie Nurses and two Healthcare Assistants were recently positioned in the ED - meaning even more patients will have access to end-of-life care and support. Antke said: "Many people nearing the end of life have to rely on ambulance and emergency services during periods of crisis, as most are not known to palliative care services. Sadly, this often leads to delays in receiving the best care, which can be deeply distressing for the individual, their loved ones, and the staff who care for them. "Over the past year and a half, we've already seen the huge difference integrated palliative care expertise can make to the experiences of ED patients at end of life, and their families. The feedback we've received has been incredibly positive, and I'm looking forward to expanding the service with the support of additional Marie Curie colleagues to make even more of an impact." Once the induction phase is complete, Marie Curie Nurses and Healthcare Assistants will work with NMUH teams to provide timely, high-quality palliative care in the ED through: * Early identification of people in the last year of life or at the end of life * Holistic person-centred palliative care assessments * Symptom management and practical support * Emotional support and information offered to patients and families, including discharge support and financial advice * Support with advance care planning and coordinated transfers to patients' preferred place of care Gem Davies, Head of Nursing and Quality at Marie Curie, is helping to lead the nursing team. She said: "What people at end of life need most is planned and compassionate support. Having palliative care experts embedded in NMUH ED means these patients can be identified faster and provided with the right care plan for them. In turn, this will also help reduce unnecessary hospital admissions in the last months of patients' lives. It's a hugely innovative service, and I'm proud to be part of it." Vicky Jones, Medical Director at North Middlesex University Hospital, said: "This is a hugely important project, which will make a real difference to people in our emergency department who are near the end of their life. Our teams will work closely with the Marie Curie team to ensure that patients and their families can receive compassionate care and support in a setting that is right for them." To find out more about Marie Curie and the services the charity provides, visit: mariecurie.org.uk.

Baking a difference: Morrisons launches limited edition 'COB for Care' to urge support for Marie Curie. * A Morrisons bakery staple, the Coburg Cob, has been rebranded to raise money for the UK's leading end of life charity * Handcrafted by Morrisons Market Street bakers at dawn, the 'Cobs for Care' honour Marie Curie nursing teams who work around the clock caring for people at end of life * It marks the launch of the 'Every Pack Gives Back' fundraising event, with donations made to Marie Curie for every promotional product purchased instore or online * The funds raised are more vital than ever, with someone dying without the end of life care they need every three minutes Morrisons has rebranded one of its famous loaves for the month of August to raise vital funds for the UK's leading end of life charity Marie Curie, renaming its handcrafted Coburg Cob the 'Cob for Care'. Baked fresh daily, the cobs are identifiable by their new bright yellow stickers - a nod to the charity's iconic daffodil emblem. With 25p from every sale donated to the end of life charity, they form part of the Every Pack Gives Back fundraising event. Every day, Morrisons Market Street Bakers up and down the country handcraft more than fifty thousand cobs, making them one of the supermarket's best-loved bakery products. They are made in-store at dawn, when many Marie Curie Nurses and Healthcare Assistants have already been working through the night caring for people at the end of life and their families. The cobs are designed to honour that dedication, and to help raise vital funds to ensure that more people get the care and support they need at the end of life, when and where they need it most - because every three minutes in the UK, someone dies without the care they need[1]. The official partnership between Morrisons and Marie Curie recently celebrated a significant milestone, having successfully raised £7 million. The limited edition 'Cob for Care' forms part of the supermarket's commitment to raising £15 million for the end of life charity by October 2027. Throughout August, hundreds of Every Pack Gives Backpromotional products including Warburtons Crumpet Thins (8 pack), Lenor Scent Booster Spring Awakening 735g and Soreen Malt Loaf 250g will appear on Morrisons shelves and online, making it easy for customers to support the campaign with their weekly shop. Every Pack Gives Back is part of the Paint It Yellow campaign - a colleague and volunteer-led fundraising drive bringing together in-store events and volunteer collections to support communities nationwide. These include a national store relay that will see stores and sites 'pass the baton' as they fundraise across the UK throughout August. The More Card app will also turn yellow for August - with a reminder that customers can donate their More Card Points to Marie Curie in multiples of 1,000 (£1 value) through the More Card App or Morrisons More Card website. Each donation is converted into a monetary value and transferred to Marie Curie on behalf of the customer. Customers can also enter a competition to win 1 Million More Points (worth £1000) by activating the Marie Curie offer in their More App and simply buying any Every Pack Gives Back product. David Scott, Corporate Affairs Director at Morrisons, said: "Marie Curie's dedication to people and communities up and down the UK could not be more important, so we are urging customers to pick up a special 'Cob for Care' and show their support for end of life care. Throughout August, customers can help raise all-important funds for Marie Curie by buying a product in our promotional Every Pack Gives Back range - where a percentage of the sale price is donated to the charity..." Emma-May Ward, Marie Curie Clinical Nurse Specialist, said: "Every day, I meet patients and families whose stories stay with me long after my shift ends. Every person deserves dignity, support and compassion at the end of their life. As a charity, we depend on the generosity of the public to fund the expert care we provide day and night for people who need us most. The Every Pack Gives Back initiative helps to raise vital funds so we can reach more patients and families when and where care is needed." Carleton Rutter from Solihull, said: 'The way the Marie Curie team cared for Dad was incredible! It was like a real sense of: 'wow, Grocery Trader has got a break when they come in'. And when they were in the house, there was nothing you couldn't ask them. And they were always really happy as well. It was like an amazing mix of compassion, humour, and empathy. "They were like angels. The way they handled Dad was amazing to see...the confidence, the experience and training which they had, to deal with a man like my dad, because even though he had lost a lot of weight, my dad was still a big guy. They were also always consistent and could be counted on - when they said they would be there, they would. And because it was always the same nurses and healthcare assistants that came, they got to know Dad really well. They were incredible with him. And it was just what we all needed" Morrisons Every Pack Gives Back fundraising event is live instore and online throughout August, with proceeds from selected products donated to Marie Curie. For more information and to watch the film, visit mariecurie.org.uk/get-involved/corporate-partners/morrisons. [1] Source: DueCare project: Defining and Estimating Unmet Palliative Care Need in the UK, 2026