Site found for Kilbryde Hospice

Jan 13 2010 by Kenny Smith, Rutherglen Reformer

A BURNSIDE man has welcomed the news that a site has been identified for the Kilbride Hospice.

The hospice appeal has taken a major step forward following the identification by NHS Lanarkshire of an available site at Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride.

And Gordon McHugh, whose fundraising activities with his talented musical family have helped to raise in the region of £250,000, has welcomed the news that the fundraising efforts of Rutherglen and Cambuslang people are finally coming to fruition.

The NHS Lanarkshire Board approved the availability of two acres of land on the east side of the hospital at the December 2009 meeting. It marks a historic first step towards creating new palliative care beds for people who are facing end-of-life illness.

The Kilbryde Hospice Appeal is working with NHS Lanarkshire on a business case for the development of palliative care services, which would be provided at the new hospice building.

Formal approval to lease the land to the Kilbryde Hospice Appeal will be sought from the NHS Lanarkshire Board as part of the approval process for the business case. Following approval of the business case work on the new hospice can begin.

Fundraiser Gordon, who is also a director of the Kilbryde Hospice, is delighted with the news.

He said: “I’m full of great excitement that it’s finally in progression. Although it’s called the Kilbryde Hospice, and sounds as if it’s for East Kilbride only, it shouldn’t be forgotten that it will be there to offer palliative care to the whole of South Lanarkshire, including Rutherglen and Cambuslang.

“We’ve managed to raise £250,000 but that’s all thanks to the local community who have supported us and put forward the money.

“The community spirit shown not just in Cambuslang and Rutherglen, but in East Kilbride, Hamilton and all over, has been phenomenal.”

The new Kilbryde Hospice building will offer patients and relatives a quality environment specially designed to meet the needs of patients requiring end-of-life care and would include a purpose-built enhanced day centre and drop-in service.

The building will also include six new palliative care beds.

Over time these would be developed to provide specialist palliative inpatient services.

Tony McGuinness, chairman of the Kilbryde Hospice Appeal said: “We are delighted to have reached agreement with NHS Lanarkshire on the siting of the new Kilbryde Hospice on a two acre site at Hairmyres.

"I would like to thank all the volunteers and friends of Kilbryde Hospice for their invaluable assistance in reaching this historic milestone.

"As we enter this exciting new phase in our development I would ask for your continued support in the challenges ahead as we turn our dream into a reality."

Ken Corsar, chairman of NHS Lanarkshire said: “We are delighted to be working with the Kilbryde Hospice Appeal to develop new palliative care services for the local area.

“Together we can make a real difference to the quality of life for people facing life-threatening and end-of-life illness.

“The Red Deer Drop-In Centre has been a real success story since opening in 2008. Now, the identification of land at Hairmyres Hospital for a new hospice building marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for palliative care services in the area.”

In April 2007, NHS Lanarkshire and the Kilbryde Hospice Appeal signed an agreement to work together to provide new palliative care services. This led to the opening of The Kilbryde Hospice’s Red Deer Drop-In Centre in 2008.

The out-patient facility, based at the Red Deer Centre in Westwood, East Kilbride, currently provides treatments, advice and support to people with a progressive illness such as cancer neurological disorders. It is run in conjunction with NHS Lanarkshire.