Rishi Sunak MP has visited a Thirsk hospice ahead of the facility’s doors opening to patients by the end of the year.
Hospice care charity Herriot Hospice Homecare – which provides hospice at home services across the Hambleton and Richmondshire districts of North Yorkshire – is transforming the former Lambert Memorial Hospital, in Thirsk, into the charity’s first hospice building.
The facility will provide inpatient hospice care and expanded support services and bereavement support, as well as become a base for the charity’s existing and growing HOME service. It will serve families living with terminal illness and bereavement in Thirsk, Northallerton, Richmond and across Hambleton and Richmondshire.
The former Prime Minister’s visit involved a tour of the facility, which is anticipated to begin serving patients with its initial services by the end of the year, as well as a discussion on the growth of hospice services locally through Herriot Hospice@The Lambert, the support of the charity’s community and ongoing funding for hospices.
25 per cent of Herriot Hospice Homecare and its wider charity’s services are funded through the government, with the rest made up of voluntary contributions from its community.
Herriot Hospice@The Lambert was made possible by the fundraising and support of people across Hambleton and Richmondshire and beyond – including events, gifts in wills, grants and donations.
One such grant was £250,000 via the last Government’s Community Ownership Fund, set up by Mr Sunak during his time as Chancellor.
The charity’s appeal culminated in £450,000 being raised in 36 hours last summer, which allowed the transformation to conclude.
Herriot Hospice Homecare’s Chief Executive Tony Collins said: “We were pleased to welcome Rishi Sunak, as one of our local MPs, to Herriot Hospice@The Lambert.
“We discussed the growth of hospice services locally, thanks to the remarkable support of our communities, as well as ongoing funding for hospices and our sector.”
Rishi Sunak said: “It was great to see what has been created at The Lambert. It will be a superb facility which I know many of my constituents have done so much to make a reality.
“Herriot Hospice Homecare is a much-loved organisation and this development of its well-used service will be welcomed. I congratulate the charity of what it has achieved in developing its services in this way.”
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