The Department of Health has awarded 176 grants to hospices for projects that will improve the physical environments for patients, their families and carers, and support hospice care provided to people in their own homes.
Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister and MP for Sheffield Hallam, announced details of the awarded grants on a visit to St Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield. He said: “This extra funding will help bring hospices up to date, so staff and volunteers can work in modern environments, helping them continue to provide wonderful support with compassion and kindness. And patients will see a huge difference in their surroundings that play a considerable part in helping them psychologically and physically.”
Some of the projects that have been awarded funding include:
- improvements to day-therapy facilities, including providing transport services
- refurbishment of inpatient and visitor areas, including improvements to bedrooms and bathrooms and providing overnight facilities for families
- improvements to gardens and outside spaces so patients can spend time outdoors.
This is the third major grant programme delivered by the Department of Health and administered by Help the Hospices.
David Praill, Chief Executive of Help the Hospices, said: “End of life care affects the whole community including families, friends and carers. Currently, too many people do not get the care they want or need and the numbers needing care continue to increase. Together, we face the challenge to ensure that people receive the best possible care at the end of life, irrespective of where they choose to be cared for, where they live or what condition they have.
“Investment in hospices is vital so they can continue to innovate, modernise and expand in order to meet the growing needs of the communities they serve. This funding to develop hospice environments and outreach services to support people at home will make a huge difference to the quality, dignity and compassion of the care provided.
“We have seen exceptional demand for this programme from hospices, confirming the hospice sector’s strong commitment to innovation and improvement.
“These grants will make a huge difference to the quality of care that hospices provide to people with terminal and life-limiting illnesses at home and in hospices.”
Three of the hospices to be awarded funding are run by Sue Ryder. Paul Woodward, Chief Executive of Sue Ryder, said: “Improving quality of life and personalisation is at the heart of all Sue Ryder’s future service developments, and as such the Department of Health grant – secured for three of our seven hospices – will be used to develop our services to ensure that we continue to provide care that allows people to live well and remain as independent as possible.
“We are committed to ensuring high quality end of life care for all and welcome this important recognition that improving facilities and surrounding environments is an integral part of this.”
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