Liverpool hospice to reopen 'as soon as possible'

The chief medical officer at Marie Curie Hospice has apologised for the distress caused by the closure of the inpatient unit.

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00:00Bereaved families and campaigners in Liverpool have made passionate pleas for a long-closed

00:06inpatient unit and a hospice to be reopened as charity bosses admitted they want to make

00:11beds available as soon as possible.

00:13Last year fears arose that the 26-bed inpatient unit at Marie Curie Hospice based in Speak

00:18Road, Walton may never reopen, having been closed since the summer.

00:23Dozens of people gathered outside Liverpool Town Hall on Tuesday evening to show their

00:28support to the hospice as representatives from Marie Curie were summoned to explain

00:32the future of the site.

00:34The hospice has been shut for nine months with hospice chiefs admitting they could and

00:39should have communicated better over its plans for the site.

00:43A long-term decision is yet to be made as to whether the unit can reopen with inpatient

00:47beds.

00:48Dr Sarah Holmes, Marie Curie Chief Medical Officer, offered an apology to the gathered

00:52campaigners and counsellors for the distress caused by the closure of the unit.

00:57She said the charity had not set out to cause anxiety among families and patients and added

01:02how Marie Curie remained committed to providing end-of-life care now and in the future.

01:08She said there were no plans to sell the building and efforts had been made to deliver rapid

01:12response and virtual ward services since the inpatient closure.

01:16Dr Holmes said the charity wanted to get a decision as soon as possible but needed to

01:21tackle issues around staging, funding and a long-term strategic plan.

01:26She also cited a £26 million deficit in the last financial year with expectations

01:32the service would be in the red again this year.

01:34Annette Weatherly, Marie Curie's Chief Medical Officer, said the site was not currently able

01:39to reopen safely as there was not a safe staffing level to do so but said it was not far away.