Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant expressed his “pride and admiration” for the work of St Giles Hospice during a special visit to its new In-Patient Care Centre in Whittington.

Michael Fabricant, Peter Holliday and Laura Pennycuick
Michael Fabricant, Peter Holliday and Laura Pennycuick

The Conservative MP was taken on a tour of the new building to see for himself the exceptional facilities which will be available for patients once work is completed at the end of this year.

After being shown around by St Giles Chief Executive Peter Holliday and Capital Appeal Director Laura Pennycuick and chatting with hospice staff and patients, Mr Fabricant was full of praise for what he had seen.

And he predicts that the new Centre will confirm St Giles’ place as one of the country’s leading palliative care facilities once the first patients are transferred to the finished Centre in April 2010.

He said:

“Over the years I have followed the progress of St Giles Hospice with interest and admiration for the work it does. It offered the UK ’s first purpose built specialist lymphoedema clinic and the latest extension to the hospice confirms St Giles’ place as one of the most innovative and forward thinking hospices in the country.

“I am proud to have St Giles Hospice in my constituency and I am looking forward to seeing the reaction of the patients to the new Centre.”

Mr Fabricant has represented Lichfield in Parliament since 1992 and is a patron of the St Giles Capital Appeal.

During his visit, he saw the facility’s innovative ‘green’ roof of low-growing sedum, which will help to keep the building warmer in winter and cooler in the summer, as well as discharging rainwater gradually into the drainage system.

He was also shown around the ground floor bedroom wing, which has been designed with special roof lights to increase natural light levels inside the building, and features en-suite bedrooms with access to gardens and individual terraces for patients.

Peter said:

“We are delighted to have Mr Fabricant as an appeal patron and it’s an absolute pleasure to be able to show him how our new Centre is progressing.

“As our local MP, he always takes an interest in the latest developments in the hospice and we are happy to keep him up to date.”

The new Centre will replace the existing 18-bed facility at the hospice in Whittington, and will enable St Giles to significantly extend its specialist care for local people living with cancer and other serious illnesses.

The facility will offer a choice of larger en-suite rooms or three multi-occupation wards for those who prefer the company of other patients.

The Capital Appeal has raised £1.9 million of the £4 million target towards the new In-Patient Care Centre, thanks to generous support from grant-making trusts, statutory bodies, individuals and local companies plus a £500,000 grant from the Department of Health.

The hospice will open the new facility initially with 18 nursing beds available, and plans to open the remaining beds to a total of 27 as additional funding is obtained.

Further details on the Capital Appeal are available by calling 0121 378 6295 or emailing [email protected].

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.