New Pease Pottage hospice welcomes first patient to £19.5m building

Peter Griggs, the first patient to be admitted to the new St Catherine's Hospice, with his daughter Rhoda and staff

A new hospice has welcomed its first patient, which has been described by his daughter as taking a "massive weight" off her shoulders.

St Catherine's Hospice, previously based in Malthouse Road, Crawley, has moved to a new £19.5m building in Pease Pottage.

The first patient, 86-year-old Peter Griggs, joined its wards on Wednesday.

Mr Griggs said: "I was quite overcome when I arrived, it's an honour to be the first patient here.

"The room is so lovely and spacious and I love being able to look out into the garden. It's really beautiful and very comfortable too."

His moving in marks the final stage of the transition from its 40-year-old former home.

An 'emotional day'

Mr Griggs' daughter, Rhoda Griggs, said staff at the hospice were "second to none" and that even if she woke up in the middle of the night worrying about her father, she was able to go in and see him.

She added: "It takes the pressure off, you feel terrible when you have got to leave him but you know you are leaving him in good hands. He's so happy."

The hospice's chief executive, Giles Tomsett, said it was an "emotional day" welcoming the first patient and that the new building had been a pipe dream 10 years ago.

He added: "Inside these walls, from today, we will continue our mission to help more people face death informed, supported and pain free."

St Catherine's Hospice cares for about 2,000 people living with a terminal illness each year in West Sussex and east Surrey, providing services from its hospice, in patients' own homes and in care homes.

Running the hospice each year costs about £10m, of which more than two thirds is raised through the support and generosity of the local community, according to the hospice.

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