Hospice's cash flow may affect bed places
Appeal goes out for donations to equip all rooms
(Gazette 20/9/2006)
by Pete Bennett

Left to right Senior Staff Nurse Angela Doran and Project Head Aiison Briant.

The buildings take shape

The new Hospice of St Francis building is rapidly taking shape, but vital funds are still required to ensure it can provide the maximum care. The £6.4m building will be open to patients at the end of January but the hospice will not be able to open all of the rooms to patients due to a lack of funds.

Each room will cost around £85,000 in equipment and nursing care and the hospice fear they will have to leave some rooms empty when the patients start arriving. Sarah Thompson, Director of Fundraising at the hospice said: "We desperately need sponsors for each room. We need individuals, companies, communities and groups to get involved, otherwise, tragically, we will have to turn people away when they need us most."

Project Head, Alison Briant, has managed to equip one room with the necessary equipment to create a 'show bedroom' at the new site, demonstrating what the hospice hopes to be able to provide in every room.
She said: "The bedrooms have been designed by the entire clinical team and by listening to many patient and family requests. The bedroom allows patients' privacy and dignity, with appropriate equipment to meet their needs.
"There is an overhead tracking hoist that allows a patient to be moved safely from the bed directly into their private en suite facility."

The rooms will also have a specialist £4,000 bed and mattress, which allows patients to be nursed in a bed and armchair position as well as special £2,000 armchairs to allow patients to sit up comfortably.

The new hospice is purpose-built and was designed with input from hospice staff. Readers of The Gazette and HeraldExpress have helped raise more than £340,000 towards the new hospice building, but a further £1.4m is still needed. Despite the Government announcing last week that £50m would be made available to improve hospice facilities over the next two years, no money has yet been made available.
To speak to someone about helping to fund the new beds, please contact Sarah Thompson, director of fundraising at the hospice on 01442 869550.

The new hospice is an impressive building. Pictured left to right are Senior Staff Nurse Angela Doran, Campaign Coordinator Liz Richards, Project Head Alison Briant and Site Manager Dannie Bonner.

Hospice rooms will have a lovely outlook.