Still planning for the future: Hospice building project
Since the last update in February, we’ve been working steadily behind the scenes on our future hospice. We’ve started formal engagement with Hastings Borough Council and are now working through their initial feedback. This includes commissioning specialist surveys and assessments on specific aspects of our current site at 25 Upper Maze Hill.
If you’re new to the project or would like a reminder of why we’re planning a new building, you can read more here. The article explains how our future hospice building will help us continue providing the best possible palliative and end of life care for people across Hastings and Rother for generations to come.
The big milestone – deciding where the new building will be – is still ahead. Thank you to everyone in our community for bearing with us. This project is a true marathon, and reaching even the first milestone is taking longer than we expected.
While work continues, we’re being thoughtful about finances. Like many hospices, we’re facing ongoing financial challenges. Costs are rising, and income isn’t keeping pace. So even when the location is confirmed, we’ll still need to carefully consider the timing and feasibility of a new building.
You may have also read that we received funding from the Department of Health and Social Care this year to support infrastructure improvements that enhance patient experience. This funding is for in-year capital expenditure only – meaning it must be used within this financial year for physical items like equipment and works to improve patient-facing spaces. It can’t be used for salaries, day-to-day operations, or future developments like a completely new hospice building. While this investment is welcome, it doesn’t change the fact that our building is ageing, needs more costly maintenance each year, and won’t last forever. That’s why we’re doing both: maintaining our current building, while planning for the future.
Progress on the new building project is a bit slow at the moment, but we’ll keep you in the loop as things develop.
In the meantime, if you have any questions or would like to chat to us about our future hospice, please do get in touch.
