PLANS SUBMITTED FOR NEW HOSPICE FACILITY
| Published: 14th February 2007 15:12 |
Local charity St Giles Hospice and Whittington Parish Council have joined forces to submit a planning application to create a bigger and better In-Patient Unit for the hospice, and a new recreational area for the village.
St Giles' In-Patient Unit, based at the main hospice site in the village, provides the very special care for which the hospice is renowned when patients are nearing the end of their lives, as well as offering brief respite support to control patients' symptoms and stabilise their condition earlier in their illness.
The hospice is proposing to create a new In-Patient Unit on the site occupied by the now vacant vicarage on Fisherwick Road in the village, part of the existing hospice site, and a small area of the Glebe Land that adjoins it.
The remainder of the Glebe Land will be used to create a recreation area for the benefit of local residents, to include tennis courts, an all weather pitch, boule terraines, a children's play area, picnic area and jogging track, with access for the disabled from the hospice site. St Giles' architects have assisted the Parish Council in its plans.
Peter Holliday, St Giles Hospice Chief Executive, explains: "Planning permission to extend the existing In-Patient Unit was granted 10 years ago.
"However, the ever-increasing demand for St Giles' specialist services, coupled with the requirement for patients to be accommodated in larger, individual rooms to accommodate more equipment and en-suite facilities, means that the plans of a decade ago are now inadequate.
"Therefore, new proposals have been drawn up to increase the capacity of the In-Patient Unit to 27 beds, rather than the 24 originally planned.
"Refurbishing and extending the current facility is not an option - it would have to close for up to two years while the work is undertaken, with the resulting impact on patient care. We are particularly grateful for input from the Parish Council which has led us to this proposal."
Cllr Frank Bartlett, Chair of the Parish Council, commented: "The new recreation facility will be a tremendous asset for the village, and is sure to be widely welcomed and well used by local residents. We are delighted to be working in partnership with one of the most respected local organisations in our community to submit this joint application."
The new In-Patient Unit has been sympathetically designed to blend into the existing site, with special attention given to landscaping, car parking, and the retention of the tranquil setting essential for the hospice.
For example, the building facing the recreation area will feature a state of the art green roof complete with slow growing vegetation, ensuring it supports the environment and presents a pleasing aspect for local residents and users of the recreation area.
The creation of the facility will also enable the subsequent moving of the Education Department onto the main site in the existing In-Patient Unit building.
The new In-Patient Unit will require significant funding, and St Giles will be making a major appeal to local grant making trusts to fund the initiative. It is hoped that the local community will also provide fundraising support.
St Giles Hospice is one of the best-known and most respected charities in the region, offering high-quality nursing and medical care for people with cancer and other serious illness, as well as providing support for their families and carers.
Patients come from across the hospice's catchment area, which ranges from Ashby de la Zouch and Atherstone in the east, to Cannock and Walsall in the west - and from Burton and Uttoxeter in the north, to Sutton Coldfield and Coleshill in the south.
Care is offered either at the hospice in Whittington, near Lichfield, or in patients' own homes across the region.
St Giles spends over £5million every year providing its specialist services. With just a third of this funded by the Government, the registered charity relies heavily on donations and fundraising - including proceeds from the St Giles Hospice Lottery and network of 14 charity shops.
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