£600,000 upgrade for Shrewsbury hospice - with pictures

The work will be unveiled this week when patients move in to the Perry Ward, which first opened at the hospice almost 30 years ago and has now been totally remodelled.

Severn Hospice, which cares for people and their families living with an incurable illness across Shropshire and Mid Wales, has spent almost three months undertaking a complete refurbishment of the ward at its Bicton site.

The work means that all patients will have their own room, with en suite facilities. Other improvements have been made to the accommodation for visiting families, improvements to treatment rooms and the addition of a conservatory. All patient rooms now overlook the hospice's award-winning gardens.

The refurbishment also includes the hospice’s first dementia-friendly rooms, which have technology to ensure security for patients with the condition and keep them safe.

Heather Palin Severn Hospice deputy chief executive and director of care, said: “For people living with a terminal illness dignity, privacy and a truly holistic caring environment really do make a difference to their quality of life when staying with us.

“This work has been a major investment in the future of our caring services which really raises the standard for patients and their families.

“We look after four out of five patients in their own home these days but we will always require facilities for inpatients who need specialist help around the clock.

“The needs and expectations of patients and their families have changed considerably since we first opened Perry Ward almost three decades ago.

"What we’ve achieved with this refurbishment fits with our long-term strategy to keep pace with those changes. Our Living Well concept aims to provide patient care wherever it is needed, enabling and supporting people to live as well as they can within the constraints of a terminal illness.

“We didn’t have a direct appeal to fund this improvement but as a charity we have to raise the money we spend and this is only possible through the generosity of the community we serve, so I want to thank everyone who thinks of us whenever they support a charity,’’ she added.

Severn Hospice has this year lodged plans for further development at its Bicton site. These are to create a new building to house therapy suites, treatment rooms, visitor facilities, learning resources and rehabilitation services.

At its Telford hospice, the charity had plans approved earlier in June to extend the building, enhancing visitor and communal spaces, and allow a larger therapy area for day patients.

The schemes at Telford and Shrewsbury are jointly part of this ‘Living Well’ approach – extending patient care and support beyond wards and inpatient services and becoming much more community-based.

In 2013, a major redevelopment of the eight-bed Breidden Ward was undertaken. The 12-week programme of improvements cost £595,000 and charity bosses said the new facilities would improve the patient's quality of life and interaction between other people at the hospice.

The structure of the building was remodelled and a conservatory was created along with improved rooms for patients. The majority of funding came from the Department of Health with the rest paid through legacies and donations.