Hospice inpatient unit to reopen 'as soon as possible'
The hospice has been shut for nine months and a long-term decision has yet to be made as to whether the unit can reopen with inpatient beds.At the meeting on Tuesday, hospice chiefs admitted they could and should have communicated better over plans for the site.
Councillor Angela Coleman said a "lack of clarity" had "kept people hanging on" and added to the distress felt by those impacted.Dr Sarah Holmes, Marie Curie chief medical officer, apologised to the gathered campaigners and councillors for the distress caused by the closure of the inpatient unit.She said there were no plans to sell the building on Speke Road and efforts had been made to deliver rapid response and virtual ward services since the inpatient closure.She said the charity had not set out to cause anxiety among families and patients and Marie Curie remained committed to providing end of life care "now and in the future" in Liverpool.She added that the charity had faced issues around funding and cited a £26m deficit in the last financial year with expectations the service would be in the red again this year.Carole Hill, associate director of strategy, integration and partnerships NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, said: "We are working as hard and as quickly as we can to get those beds reopened."This is the highest priority for us and we are working every day to move this forward."
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Daily Record
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