Palliative care gets £3m injection

Palliative care gets £3m injection

A patient at the Marie Curie Cancer Centre

Hospices and hospitals which provide palliative care for patients are to benefit from a share of £3.5m to help improve facilities.

The money, which has come from the Lottery's New Opportunities Fund, will enable groups to extend the range of services they offer.

Ten centres across Wales will receive funds from the award.

Care providers will be using the money to give better access to services, improve the settings of care services for patients with incurable illnesses, and provide an enhanced working environment for staff and volunteers.

Who will benefit

Eryri Hospital, Caernarfon - North West Wales NHS Trust

Marie Curie Cancer Care, Penarth

Usk House, Powys

Ty Hafan Children's Hospice, Vale of Glamorgan

Aberdare Hospital, North Glamorgan NHS Trust

George Thomas Hospice Care, Cardiff

Princess of Wales/Y Bythan Newydd, Bridgend

Ceredigion and Mid Wales NHS Trust

Ty Olwen Palliative Care Unit (to be confirmed)

St Kentigern Hospice, Denbighshire

The Marie Curie Centre in Penarth, south Wales, is receiving about £300,000 from the fund.

The centre is using the money to put in facilities to allow relatives to make overnight visits.

John McFarlane, business development manager at the centre added: "The scheme will also provide an area for young children, making the centre more child friendly as well as providing areas in which child bereavement counselling can take place.

Another centre to benefit is the Eryri Hospital in Caernarfon, managed by the North West Wales NHS Trust, which is spending the money on improving the care environment.

Dr Andrew Fowell, Macmillan consultant at the trust, said: "Facing the fact that you may only have weeks or months to live is distressing enough without having to spend that time in an overcrowded environment.

"It is important to create a relaxing and comfortable setting."

And Welsh Assembly health minister Jane Hutt said it was "wonderful news" for both providers and patients.