New hospice for St Catherine’s will allow more people to be supported
Sussex MPs visited the site of the new St Catherine’s Hospice at Pease Pottage on Friday, May 6, to see how it will transform end of life care in the community.
Horsham MP Jeremy Quin and Mid Sussex MP Mims Davies met with trustees and staff from St Catherine’s during Dying Matters Awareness Week to learn how the larger hospice will allow expert teams to care for more people.
Building work is already underway and the MPs were shown how the site will allow the hospice to expand and how it will improve wellbeing, emotional and bereavement care across their constituencies.
Terry O’Leary, chair of trustees at St Catherine’s, 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 while supporting other local healthcare and
NHS systems.”
The hospice will provide 24 beds on two wards, an increase from 18 beds in the current building. All rooms will offer people a private garden and an ensuite
bathroom, and 12 rooms will have adjoining sitting rooms so families can stay overnight.
Staff from St Catherine’s told Ms Davies and Mr Quin that extra beds will allow them to support the work of wider NHS and local healthcare systems.
They said they will provide ‘step-down care’ for people coming out of hospital who are not ready to return home.
St Catherine’s also aims to offer respite care to give carers a break.
The idea, St Catherine’s said, is to ease pressure on the NHS by helping to stop unnecessary hospital admissions. The new hospice will also offer more space for outpatient appointments.
Mr Quin said: “The brand new facility will significantly increase St Catherine’s ability to care for our local residents in their last days whether they are young or old, like so many people in Horsham I have seen first hand the wonderful care provided by their dedicated team and I am very excited by their future plans.”
To make a donation visit stch.org.uk/newhospice or call the fundraising team on 01293 447361.