Boston: Jonathan Van-Tam opens new hospice centre

Professor Van-Tam opened the new hospice centre which replaces an old building no longer fit for purpose

A new £1m hospice care centre has been opened by former deputy chief medical officer Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam.

St Barnabas Hospice has formally opened its Wellbeing Hub in Boston, Prof Van-Tam's hometown.

Prof Van-Tam was a familiar face on national TV during the pandemic, providing information about the spread of the coronavirus.

The building is named Novak House, after a family who donated to the project.

The centre replaces an aging bungalow that was not fit for purpose for staff and patients, the hospice said.

Serving people in south Lincolnshire, there are treatment and therapy rooms, along with a garden room for activities including exercise sessions or counselling.

Prof Van-Tam was recently given the freedom of Boston, where he grew up

There is also a new lounge and kitchen called Rosie's - named after a member of staff who died from coronavirus.

Boston United fan and freedom of the city recipient Prof Van-Tam, who missed his knighthood ceremony last month after testing positive for Covid-19, opened the centre on Wednesday morning.

Prof Van-Tam stepped down in March after five years as the deputy chief medical officer to start an academic role at the University of Nottingham.

Novak House was made possible thanks to Stefan Novak, who left almost £500,000 as a legacy gift to St Barnabas after his wife was cared for by a hospice in London.

About half of the cost of the build has been paid for following a legacy gift from Stefan Novak, left