The new hospice will open in 2009 and will replace the existing Marie Curie Hospice which has been part of the city’s fabric for 30 years.
Alex McLeish said:
“We need the people of Glasgow to get behind the Big Build Appeal and help realise our £16m target. Everyone will be touched by cancer at some time in their life through friends and family. The Big Build Appeal has great ideas where you can do your bit. It’s your hospice so please get behind Glasgow’s Big Build Appeal.”
The Marie Curie Big Build Appeal will target the public and business community in a bid to reach the £16m cost (£8 million of which has already been committed by supporters) and to ensure that the future needs of Glasgow’s cancer patients will be met.
In Scotland the number of deaths from cancer is predicted to increase from 14,900 in 1999 to 16,300 by 2010.
The £16m raised will be invested in providing cancer care for out-patients, support facilities and education while also transforming the quality and level of in-patient cancer care. The new hospice will have a variety of bespoke features:
- 30 in-patient beds (24 of which will be single occupancy, increasing from the current 12)
- Care facilities designed for the treatment of patients with complex and challenging symptoms
- Each room will have full specialist en-suite facilities
- Each room will be designed so that patients can enjoy views from their beds, and have full access from their rooms to outdoor areas
- Each room will have piped oxygen facilities beside the beds
- Each room will have the facility for overnight stays, allowing loved ones more precious time together
Hospice Medical Director and consultant Dr Jim Adam said:
“The Marie Curie Hospice actively promotes quality of life for people with cancer and provides support for their families, completely free."
“Currently the hospice cares for over 3,400 patients a year, but the existing building limits the quality and diversity of services that can be offered. Cancer care has changed dramatically over the last 30 years and has moved to a more holistic approach using complementary therapy as well as medication. Around 50 per cent of our cancer patients manage their illness and are able to go home and get on with their lives.”
“The new hospice is required to effectively support patients, their families and carers creating a comfortable, uplifting and sensitive environment to inspire confidence and dignity.”
Appeal Chair Donald Storrie said: “Glasgow needs a new hospice and it’s going to cost around £16m to build. We’ve already secured £8m from our supporters to get the project to this stage, but we need to find another £8m. It’s a big challenge, but Glasgow deserves the best.”
The new hospice will be sited close to existing facility, within Marie Curie’s grounds in Stobhill Hospital, Springburn.
For further information on how to raise funds and get involved with the Big Build Appeal visit the Big Build website or phone the Marie Curie Big Build Hotline on 0141 531 1383.
