Hospice for terminally ill secures £3M Welsh Gov funding

The Welsh Government will provide £3m towards the cost of a £5m, 15 bed, specialist in-patient hospice, which will be built next to the main hospice building at Blackett Avenue in Newport.

It will be run by the St. David’s Hospice Care (SDHC), working in partnership with Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and Newport City Council.

The new 15 bed unit will replace a smaller 10 bed unit at St. Anne’s Hospice, which opened in 1979. The existing unit cares for over 3,000 patients with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses, such motor neurone disease and end-stage heart failure.

The service covers a population of over 600,000 people from Newport, Caerphilly, Torfaen, Monmouthshire and Mid & South Powys.

Mark Drakeford said: “The model of palliative care which has been developed by St. David’s Hospice Care is recognised as a good example of how to deliver first class hospice care.

“I’m delighted to be able to make this funding available to ensure St David’s Hospice Care can deliver the additional palliative care services that are increasingly in demand in South East Wales.

“The new hospice will deliver significant benefits to patients and their families through the replacement and improvement of facilities.”

Emma Saysell, Chief Executive of St. David’s Hospice Care said: “St David’s Hospice Care is absolutely delighted to receive the news of the £3m funding support from the Welsh Government. The new Hospice will offer state-of-the-art patient and family led services and ensure people can access the best possible palliative and end of life care, irrespective of their diagnosis.

“We would like to sincerely thank the Minister and the Welsh Government for investing in this vital care and would also like to thank Newport City Council for providing the land and Aneurin Bevan Health Board for their tremendous support. St David’s Hospice Care has worked with local community and volunteers for many years and we are indebted to them for their continued support and we look forward to working with them to realise this amazing opportunity for hospice care”