MPs show support for our new St Catherine’s Hospice
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Mims Davies, Mid Sussex Conservative MP and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Employment at the Department of Work and Pensions and Jeremy Quin MP for Horsham and Minister of State at the Minister for Defence Procurement (MOD) met with Trustees and staff from our hospice on Friday (6 May) to find out more about how our larger hospice at Pease Pottage will transform end of life care for local people.
Building work on a new hospice at Pease Pottage is already underway
The MPs visit to the new hospice site fell during Dying Matters Awareness Week, which seemed an apt time for the two MPs to learn how our new, larger hospice will allow our expert teams to care for more people. They saw visuals of our new hospice and learnt how the new building allows for the expansion of hospice, community, wellbeing, emotional and bereavement care across their constituencies
As people live longer with more complex illnesses, the new St Catherine’s will provide 24 beds on two wards, an increase from 18 beds in the current hospice, and all rooms will offer people a peaceful private garden and ensuite bathroom. 12 rooms will have adjoining sitting rooms for families to stay overnight and there will also be family spaces for relatives to relax
Staff from our medical team shared how extra beds at our new hospice will also allow us to support the work of wider NHS and local healthcare systems
We will do this by providing step-down care for people coming out of hospital who aren’t quite ready to return home. We will also offer respite care to give carers a break from caring for someone they love at home. This will ease pressure on the NHS by helping to stop unnecessary hospital admissions.
As well as supporting the work of wider local healthcare systems our new hospice will offer more space for outpatient appointments.
Terry O’Leary, our Chair of Trustees said, “It was great to spend time telling Mims and Jeremy more about our ambitious plans for our new hospice.
The new hospice will allow us to provide enhanced hospice care for generations to come. It will also mean we can meet increasing demand for care whilst supporting other local healthcare and NHS systems.”
MP for Mid Sussex, Mims Davies commented:
“We all deserve to live well, but importantly, if a terminal diagnosis is made, we also deserve to live life to the fullest and to be able to die well and with dignity, when the time comes.
I was delighted to see the plans for the new hospice, how provision has increased and how the family is fully incorporated into their accommodation. This will be a fantastic new facility that will enable St Catherine’s to build upon their superb levels of care.”
To find out more about our new hospice or to make a donation please visit our new hospice pages or call our Fundraising Team on 01293 447361.
