Hospice proudly opens the Professor John Welsh Specialist Palliative Care Centre

The next chapter in compassionate care begins as St Margaret of Scotland Hospice officially opens the Professor John Welsh Specialist Palliative Care Centre.

For more than seventy five years, St Margaret of Scotland Hospice, based in Clydebank, has provided compassionate, specialist palliative care to patients with advanced illness and those with complex medical and nursing needs, supporting thousands of families through some of the most challenging times in their lives.

On Sunday 25 October at 11.30am, the Hospice will unveil its transformed facilities at a special opening by His Grace, Archbishop William Nolan, Archbishop of Glasgow, following a major redevelopment programme designed to enhance the care, comfort and wellbeing of patients and families for generations to come.

The redevelopment represents one of the most significant investments in the Hospice’s history, creating a welcoming and nurturing environment for patients, their families and their friends, while ensuring the charity can continue to deliver specialist care in surroundings that reflect the excellence of its services.

At the heart of the development is the newly named Professor John Welsh Specialist Palliative Care Centre, alongside a complete refurbishment and reconfiguration of the Hospice’s inpatient accommodation, modernised patient facilities, upgraded infrastructure, and improvements to the external estate

Hospice Chief Executive, Sister Rita Dawson MBE, CEO said:

“Today marks the beginning of the next chapter in the history of St Margaret of Scotland Hospice. The transformation of our Hospice and the opening of the Professor John Welsh Specialist Palliative Care Centre reflect our commitment to providing the highest quality specialist care in surroundings that offer comfort, dignity, peace, and hope.

Every aspect of the work has been designed with our patients and families in mind. We wanted to create an environment that feels welcoming, calming and uplifting at a time when people need it most.

We are incredibly grateful to the many individuals, trusts, foundations, businesses, and community groups whose generosity has helped make this vision a reality. This achievement belongs to them as much as it does to the Hospice.”

The redevelopment has delivered:

A fully refurbished and reconfigured Specialist Palliative Care Unit.
Twenty modern, comfortable inpatient beds designed to enhance dignity, comfort and wellbeing for patients and their families.
Improved family and communal spaces, including the addition of a roof garden.
New external cladding, windows, and roofing to secure the future of the building.
Upgraded facilities that will support the delivery of exceptional specialist palliative care for many years to come.

The Professor John Welsh Specialist Palliative Care Centre has been named in recognition of the outstanding contribution Professor John Welsh has made to research, teaching and the delivery of specialist care across Scotland. The Centre will continue his legacy of clinical excellence, compassionate and person centred care.

Sister Rita MBE, CEO added:

“I have known Professor John Welsh for over 30 years, and he is the man who truly put Specialist Palliative Care on the map in Glasgow. He gave more than 20 years of service to this hospice as Medical Director, and he continues to give so much today as Chair. He is an exceptional human being and a deeply caring professional.

His commitment to this Hospice and the people it cares for has been total. He has touched the lives of countless families, held the hands of patients, and guided colleagues with wisdom and compassion. Personally, he has been a great support to me, always.

It is so fitting that our new centre will be called the Professor John Welsh Specialist Palliative Care Centre. No words can fully express how much he has given.”

While the transformation has been completed, the Hospice continues to fundraise to meet the costs of this major redevelopment. In addition, the Hospice also remains dependent upon the generosity of its supporters to continue providing services free of charge to patients and families across the community.

The opening of these facilities is not the end of our journey. The next chapter will focus on providing more accessible specialist palliative care for patients living at home.

Written by: Phil Briscoe

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