Paul Burstow announces £60 million of funding for hospices
Care Services Minister Paul Burstow has announced that hospices are to benefit from up to £60 million of funding to help improve the quality…
Care Services Minister Paul Burstow has announced that hospices are to benefit from up to £60 million of funding to help improve the quality of care for people nearing the end of their lives. He has visited St Christopher’s Hospice in Sydenham today, to see the major refurbishments the hospice was able to carry out after receiving funding through the capital grants scheme.
The funding announced today - which is open to all adult and children’s hospices in England - will help improve care for patients and families by enhancing the hospice environment, as well as supporting the care hospices provide to people in their own homes.
Hospices will be able to apply for funding for a range of projects, including:
- improvements to day therapy facilities, including providing transport services
- developing or improving outreach services to support people in their own homes
- refurbishment of inpatient and visitor areas, including improvements to bedrooms and bathrooms and providing overnight facilities for families
- improvements to mortuary and bereavement facilities
- improvements to gardens and outside spaces so patients can spend time outdoors
The principal requirements are that projects deliver improvements that directly benefit patients, have a tangible impact on the physical environment and provide value for money.
Paul Burstow, said:
‘Our surroundings at the end of our lives play a critical role in our wellbeing.
‘This money will help hospices all over the country make improvements such as redesigning rooms or putting in place facilities to help people remain independent.
‘We are making this investment because we want hospices to be able to provide dignified, compassionate, high quality care and support to people and their families at what is a difficult time in their lives.’
Dame Barbara Monroe, Chief Executive of St Christoper’s Hospice, said:
‘A Department of Health grant gave us the opportunity to reconfigure the ground floor to create a light-filled multipurpose space with exceptional facilities for patients and families.
‘The new social space known as The Anniversary Centre also houses a full programme of activities to encourage the public into the hospice for concerts, Sunday lunch and a community choir as well as our Schools Project which has now worked with over 40 schools.
‘If everyone is to get good end of life care it is vital that we all learn to confront our fears about death and have opportunities to talk to one another about what we want at the end of our lives.’
Details on how and when hospices can apply for the capital grant scheme will be announced shortly.