A THREE-year project to improve facilities at Bolton Hospice is about to launch its final phase.

The £1.2 million Building for the Future project will be rounded off with a series of refurbishment and building works due to begin on Monday.

It will see seven inpatient bedrooms converted to en suites, the creation of a new multi-use day room with direct access to the hospice garden, improvements to the layout of the main reception, waiting area and nurses station, and the addition of a canopy to the main entrance.

Chief Executive Dr Leigh Vallance said: “When this project is complete we will have a fully refurbished building with top class facilities, enabling us to continue to provide the very best care for local people facing life-limiting illnesses for many years to come.

“We are incredibly grateful for all donations as we rely on the support of the Bolton public to raise £3.2 million of our annual £4.2 million running costs.

“Recently we have been fortunate to receive some truly remarkable legacy gifts, which have enabled us to embark upon the final phase of our project to upgrade our facilities for those who will need them in future.”

During the first six months of the refurbishment works on the hospice’s inpatient unit, the bed capacity will be reduced from 18 to 12.

The Hospice at Home service provision has been increased next week in order to reduce the impact of the closures.

Director of Clinical Services, Jill Entwistle, added that the multi-disciplinary team would assess and prioritise referrals to ensure that those who are most in need are admitted to the inpatient unit.

The hospice, which opened at its site off Chorley New Road in 1992, has appointed local firm CityBuild to complete the project and the new look has been designed by Bolton-based architects Good & Tillotson.

The first phase of the project was completed in 2014, and involved adding four new inpatient bedrooms, converting seven of the existing 14 bedrooms to en suite, improving pharmacy facilities, creating more space for visitors and families and adding a new multi-faith spiritual reflection and bereavement support centre. Dr Martin Berry, managing director at CityBuild, added: “We are very pleased to have been selected to work with the hospice on this challenging project.”

“We feel that our vast experience working in live, sensitive environments will ensure that the works are completed with minimum disruption to patients and families.”

The hospice hopes to see the project completed by September next year.