4:57pm Sunday 15th April 2007
By Stephanie Tye
THE PROSPECT Hospice building will be getting a spruce-up thanks to a Government grant.
The hospice, based in Wroughton, has been given £340,000 from the Department of Health as part of the Dignity in Care programme.
The grant, which is a one-off capital sum, is specifically for the improvement of the hospice building and is intended to ensure that dignity remains at the heart of patient care.
The money will allow staff at the hospice to transform a large multi-bedded room into four new single bedrooms with en-suite facilities.
This will bring more privacy and choice for patients by creating more flexible accommodation.
Debbie Ho, patient services director at Prospect Hospice, said: "The experiences of our patients and their families are of the utmost importance to us.
"To be confident that we are achieving the highest possible quality of care, we want to provide more choice and flexibility and be able to respond to the unique needs of each person we meet.
"Expanding our existing facilities to create more single-room accommodation will support us in this."
But she said it didn't mean they would be able to rest on their laurels.
"Our specialist care and support is free of charge and while we are delighted to receive this new money for capital investment, it does not in any way reduce our need to raise around £3m each year from our local community," she said.
The cash grant has also been welcomed by South Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove.
"Prospect Hospice is a highly valued part of our community, and I have been committed to lobbying on its behalf for some time," said Mrs Snelgrove, pictured above, who spoke at the Prospect's Light up a Life service at the St Joseph's Catholic College last December.
"This Government money will enable the conversion of a multi-bedded room to create four new single en-suite bedrooms.
"I am delighted the funding will help provide better respite care to people in Swindon with cancer."
In November, the Adver and the hospice teamed up to launch the Prospect@Home Appeal.
The campaign is to help fund a scheme which will see nurses giving palliative care to people in their own homes 24 hours a day. We aim to help the 26-year old hospice get the scheme up and running as soon as possible.
If you are holding a fundraising event for Prospect@Home contact the newsdesk on 01793 501806.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk