At last! Doors will open at new hospice (From Bury Times)

At last! Doors will open at new hospice

10:34am Thursday 14th March 2013 in News

THE first terminally ill patients will be cared for at the new £5 million Bury Hospice on Monday.

Staff have been moving in this week and the finishing touches are being added before the doors are opened at the state-of-the-art centre in Rochdale Old Road, Bury.

An open day was held on Monday for dozens of people to have a look around, with music by veteran entertainer and hospice supporter Ted Selby, from Sunnybank.

The hospice cost £5.05 million to build, with 76 per cent donated by people from Bury.

Many were inspired by a campaign backed by the Bury Times, which saw stories about the hospice printed on a dedicated page each week.

Of the amount remaining, 14 per cent was given by grant-making trusts outside the area and 10 per cent by the NHS. The hospice’s chief executive, Jacqui Comber, said: “It’s amazing. We are so excited that we are now moving in.

“Our dream is becoming a reality.

“It’s been so much hard work and it’s a fantastic achievement that we will be opening the doors and moving in. All the staff are looking forward to it and everyone is working their socks off to get it ready.”

The new building will replace the current hospice in Dumers Lane, Radcliffe, which opened in 1991.

It is a larger, modern facility providing end-of-life care for 1,000 people every year.

The hospice has 12 inpatient bedrooms, compared to five at its current home, as well as accommodation for families, relaxation areas and increased catering facilities.

There is also a new outpatient centre offering appointments, clinics, treatments and therapies.