Our History

We opened our door to patients as The Douglas Macmillan Home. In our first year we cared for 315 patients.

Our first Social Worker was appointed. We have always kept the holistic approach at the forefront of everything we do. Today we have a large team helping to care for all patients and families.

Our volunteers launched our bereavement care visits. This is still a core component in the services we offer; we now have psychological therapists offering 1 to 1 support and group sessions.

Our first Palliative Care Nurse Specialists were appointed. Today, we receive referrals from GPs and district nurses to our community team, wherever possible, giving patients, families and carers a choice of where they wish to spend their remaining time.

Our Day Therapy Services began.

The Douglas Macmillan Home became Douglas Macmillan Hospice – or as it is now more commonly known, the Dougie Mac.

We launched our Hospice at Home service which provided care and respite services for patients and families who choose to stay in their own homes.

We extended our services beyond cancer to support any life-limiting illness – including Dementia, heart disease, motor neurone disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

We launched our 24/7 advice line for healthcare professionals providing palliative care to local adults.

We opened our innovative and award winning Community Lodges. These three independent lodges are situated on the main hospice grounds and are now part of the inpatient services.

Our new Day Therapy Services expand further with a new purpose-built unit opened thanks to a grant from the Department of Health. Supporters and charitable trusts funded the cost of fitting the building.

We incorporated our new 7-bedded unit and independent living suites to our inpatient services, increasing our bed capacity to 33.

We become the first organisation in North Staffordshire to have our own Admiral Nurse. Wendy Mountford joined the team and gives expert advice and support for people caring for a relative with dementia.

Dougie Mac celebrates its 45th anniversary.

Dougie Mac forms strategic alliance with local dementia charity Approach in a move to further develop specialist dementia care within Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire.

Dougie Mac appoints a second Admiral Nurse; the first hospice in the UK to have 2 specialist dementia nurses.