Permanent closure of hospice would be 'devastating'

The permanent closure of a hospice would be "devastating" for the community it serves, a local councillor has said.

The 26-bed Marie Curie Hospice in Woolton was closed last summer due to staff shortages, and while outpatients continue to be cared for, workers have said they have been kept in the dark over whether the inpatient facility would reopen.

Lucy Williams, a Liverpool councillor for Garston and a specialist palliative care nurse at the hospice for two years, said the local community would "not let the inpatient unit go quietly".

The charity said no decision had yet been made about the long-term future of the unit on Speke Road and acknowledged it is was "an incredibly unsettling time".

MP Maria Eagle (L) said she "very strongly" supported the re-opening of inpatient services

"The worry is for the community but it's also for people's jobs as well," Ms Williams, a Liverpool Community Independents councillor for Garston, said.

"There are so many dedicated staff that work at Marie Curie and it's not just nurses, it's doctors, it's healthcare assistants, maintenance, the catering team... to lose this service would just be devastating.

"This community isn't going to let the inpatient unit go quietly. We're not going to allow vital services to be stripped back and stay silent," she said.

In a post on social media Maria Eagle, Labour MP for Liverpool Garston, said that while it was welcome, the current at-home Virtual Ward service was "not adequate in all circumstances".

She added she had been assured by the hospice it was trying to recruit more specialist nurses in the hope of re-opening the inpatient service, and she was due to meet management on Friday.

"I very strongly support the re-opening of inpatient services at Woolton," she said.

"I will continue to press Marie Curie to this end."

A Marie Curie spokesperson said: "No decision has yet been made about the long-term future of the inpatient unit at the Marie Curie Hospice, Liverpool.

"We know that this is an incredibly unsettling time and want to thank staff for their ongoing resilience and flexibility at this time."