St. Michael's Awarded DOH Funding

06 April 2010

St. Michael’s Hospice has been awarded £280,000 Department of Health funding

St. Michael’s Hospice in Basingstoke is delighted to have been awarded a grant of £280,000 from the Department of Health to upgrade its In-Patient Unit facilities and garden area together with purchasing laptops and a vehicle for patient transfers.  This funding will have significant benefits to patient and family care and will enable St. Michael’s to make improvements that would otherwise have been difficult to fund.

The £280,000 of funding has come from the Department of Health £40 million capital grants programme for Hospices which was announced on 1st April 2010 as being distributed to 6 Hospices within the South Central region and 117 Hospices across the rest of the country.

“We are delighted to have received this grant from the Department of Health as the refurbishment and purchases just wouldn’t have been possible without additional funding.  All of these things will make such a difference to patients coming to the Hospice, making them more comfortable during their stay and giving them and their families some superb facilities and areas to use.  This will also ensure that we can meet the ever changing needs of our patients and their families and enable us to continue providing high quality care in a much improved environment” said Tony Holden, Vice Chairman of St. Michael’s Hospice.

Care Services Minister Phil Hope who announced the grants said “Whether it’s being able to take time out in the garden or having a hoist that enables you to move with more dignity, the physical environment directly impacts on people’s care.  We know that improving the caring environment is something that is very important to people. Today I am delighted to be able to make that a reality in NHS South Central.”

The funding will cover lots of improvements to the In-Patient Unit including air conditioning, hard flooring and ceiling mounted lifting tracks in all rooms. Private en-suite facilities in seven single rooms will be updated and patio doors and balconies will be added to the outside of the three double rooms.

Internally, all rooms will have new riser recliner armchairs and an existing bathroom will be converted to a wheelchair accessible ‘wet room’ for less able bodied patients.  A further existing bathroom will be remodelled to offer a central Jacuzzi bath accessible at both sides by staff with the addition of ceiling hoists.  Seven new beds will be provided and five air beds for greater comfort for patients with severe conditions.  A small conservatory will be added to the existing day room giving direct access to the garden.

Externally, the courtyard garden will be designed and planted as a sensory garden, and the existing garden area re-planned to incorporate a small therapeutic labyrinth accessible by wheelchair.

The funding also covers four heavy duty lap top computers for patient use internally and externally. And, finally a larger vehicle with an integral tail lift to allow easier transfer of patients to and from the Hospice and home.

The funding was committed as part of the Department of Health’s End of Life Care Strategy to provide high quality care for all adults approaching the end of their life, launched in July 2008. The projects will begin in April 2010 and will be completed by 31 March 2011

As a registered UK charity St. Michael’s Hospice has to raise over £6,000 per day to continue providing its vital In-Patient, Day Care and Hospice at Home services to the people of North Hampshire.