PLANS for a £5m hospice to be built in north Durham are to be unveiled next week.

Willow Burn Hospice is to unveil their proposals for a new hospice development on the site of the former Maiden Law Hospital in Lanchester.

The hospice is already based on the site, sharing the grounds with other independent health care providers, but the facilities need renewing.

It will improve facilities for patients, carers and the changing nature of palliative care.

Chief executive Helen Mills said: “Willow Burn is here to serve the needs of the patient and their family and we start from the premise of what matters most to them, not what we think matters most.

“I’d like to ensure that the local community are assured that although the building as a resource will change the care, comfort and compassion will remain intact because we are passionate about what we do and we want people to feel valued by their service experience not just by what the building looks like.”

Willow Burn Hospice was opened in 1989 for day care services and added four in-patient beds for people requiring palliative and end of life care.

It has spent several months developing proposals to create a new hospice, with increased individual bed spaces in cottage-style rooms and dedicated family rooms for visiting relatives.

The proposals would see Willow Burn increase the number of in-patient beds from four to six, and additional well-being facilities, such as a sun room, health spa, dance studio and therapy suite.

Willow Burn celebrates its 21st birthday this year and on Tuesday it will be unveiling its proposals between 11am and 6pm at our Community Engagement Event at Lanchester Community Centre.

Ms Mills added: “Willow Burn has been an important part of Derwentside life for the last 21 years and we see ourselves as being an integral part of the area and its communities.

“We have taken the conscious decision to create a sustainable resource and are going on a journey as we develop Willow Burn and we very much want those whose lives we touch to be a part of that journey, which is why we are encouraging as many people as possible to come along to our community engagement event on Tuesday.”