Day hospice services have been temporarily moved to other areas for six months during refurbishment work.
The Hospice is adapting facilities, including using the Chapel to accommodate patients.
Some will access outpatient services remotely as happened successfully during Covid. The experiences from that crisis period have been invaluable planning contingencies during the building phase.
The pandemic put a major strain on the Hospice with the effects of the virus still being felt.
Rachel Allcock, Director of Income Generation, said: “We are getting patients coming to us much later in diagnosis who are really poorly because they didn’t want to burden the NHS with their symptoms during Covid.
“It’s a similar story at other hospices although the after-effects of Covid should be temporary. The main reason, though, for a projected rise in patient numbers is an ageing population.
“The refurbished Sunflower Wellbeing Centre will give us the perfect opportunity to re-launch existing services, promote new activity and collaborate with health care professionals, faith and community groups to increase our overall support for the communities we serve.
A glimpse of the future at East Cheshire Hospice.
“We’re hoping to cater for people at every stage of their journey and for all disease groups, including drop-in facilities for the newly-diagnosed.
“Our aim is to encompass that whole need rather than the limited need in a building only able to host one thing at a time.”
Many more volunteers will be needed to help deliver the expanded services.
A glimpse of the future at East Cheshire Hospice.
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