Staffordshire Hospice Brings Community Together to Celebrate Major Inpatient Improvements

A Staffordshire hospice has brought together its community supporters, donors and partners to celebrate a major programme of improvements to its Inpatient Unit.

The Spring Celebration lunch, held at the hospice in Whittington this month (May), brought together the individuals, businesses and funders who have helped transform the environment in which St Giles provides its care, giving them the chance to see first-hand the difference their support has made to patients and families facing the most difficult of times.

Guests were invited to tour the newly improved spaces, including an overnight family stay space, a dedicated quiet room, a spa bathroom with sensory technology and mood lighting, and a new family lounge with a dedicated children’s area. A pilot bedroom, showcasing the standard St Giles aims to achieve across all patient rooms as part of its broader modernisation plans, was also open for visitors.

Elinor Eustace, CEO of St Giles Hospice, said: “Bringing our supporters together to celebrate what we have achieved is a moment we have been looking forward to. These improvements have transformed the environment in which we care for patients and their families, and it is only right that the people whose generosity made that happen can come and see the difference for themselves. We are incredibly proud of what has been achieved, and excited about what the future holds for our services.”

The event also marked an opportunity to look ahead, with the hospice sharing its ambitions for the future of care and the continued development of its services.

The improvements have been made possible in part by four waves of Government capital funding totalling over £1.1 million, combined with support from charitable trusts including the Francis and Eric Ford Charity Trust. 

Leon Ratcliffe, Director of Clinical Services at St Giles Hospice, said: “These new spaces are already making a real difference to patients and their families at the most difficult of times. The overnight accommodation means loved ones no longer have to leave the hospice during those final precious hours together, and the improvements to our patient rooms mean we can provide care in an environment that truly reflects the quality and compassion of our team. Seeing families benefit from these spaces every day is a reminder of why this investment matters so much.”

However, the hospice was clear that whilst capital investment in infrastructure is welcome, it cannot address the fundamental financial pressures facing the sector. Less than a quarter of St Giles’s £10 million annual running costs come from Government funding, with the hospice relying on community support for its day-to-day operations.

Elinor added: “Capital funding enables us to improve our buildings and facilities, and we are genuinely grateful for it. But it is the community’s ongoing generosity that keeps our doors open and our services running. Events like this are a reminder of what we can achieve together, and of why that support matters so much.”

The improvements form part of a broader modernisation programme for the Inpatient Unit. 

St Giles Hospice is a registered charity providing specialist palliative and end of life care free of charge to people with terminal illnesses across Staffordshire, North Birmingham and surrounding areas. The hospice delivers more than 80% of its care in the community, caring for 2,603 people across all services in 2024-25.