West Midlands hospices to get £7.7m boost

West Midlands hospices are to receive a share of £60m of government cash to improve facilities.

A total of 21 hospices will benefit from £7,710,462, which will be used to create new space for patients, families and carers and supporting care at home.

The money will boost day-therapy facilities and the refurbishment of patient and visitor areas.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said it would bring hospices "up to date" with "modern environments."

Hope House Children's Hospice in Oswestry, Shropshire, will get more than £175,000 to build a new extension.

Director of fundraising Cath Jones said the new block could not have been built without the grant.

'Privacy and dignity'

St Michael's Hospice said its grant of £680,000 would make a "huge difference", helping to fund an £8m inpatient building and other units at its site in Hereford.

Chief executive Nicky West said the redeveloped site would help it to double the number of people it supports to 4,000 a year, including family members and carers.

She said the new buildings, expected to open next year, in time for its 30th anniversary, would also improve privacy and dignity by offering more individual rooms, compared with the current four-bed wards.

The full list of hospices are: