A SEVEN month building project to transform care at Ipswich's St Elizabeth Hospice is underway today.

A SEVEN month building project to transform care at Ipswich's St Elizabeth Hospice is underway today.

Diggers and workmen will be in action until next summer to complete the £1million refurbishment.

The project will see a transformation of the day care centre, dining room and reception area toilet facilities.

The hospice's chief executive Lesley Cockerton said: “The increased and improved accommodation in day care will give the flexibility to provide working areas for different therapies and services, to be delivered to patients and families.

“This will allow the hospice to provide more people with a range of treatments and psychological support to equip them to live with their illnesses at home.

“The refurbishment and extension to the dining area will create a more congenial space for patients and families to enjoy the social and pleasurable activity of having an excellent meal cooked by our in-house catering team.”

The hospice's physiotherapy and occupational therapy services will get their own defined areas, and there will be a proper treatment area for the nurse-led clinics.

There will be a first-floor extension to give more office space and the toilet facilities at the front of the building will be made bigger.

The hospice is also upgrading its nurse call system at its inpatient unit. Nurses will be alerted when patients get out of bed so they can quickly respond. Lighting on the unit will also be improved.

Work is being carried out by building contractors VA Marriott, who did the centre's previous extension in 1997. It is due to finish in June or July next year.

The hospice put up £745,000 from voluntary donations for the project on top of a £297,575 grant from the Department of Health.

The Foxhall Road hospice, which has to raise £4.2million a year to cover running costs, was promised the government cash earlier this year as part of a nationwide £40m project to improve patient care for older people.

N Has the hospice supported your family? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

THE start of building work at St Elizabeth Hospice comes as it launches a new DVD.

The short DVD film shows all the services on offer and will be given to professionals and people who want to find out more about what it provides, including patients and families.

Anyone who wants a copy can call Felicity Green at the hospice on 01473 727776.