FOLLOWING years of fundraising and hard work the new end-of-life unit at Lewis-Manning Hospice has finally opened.

The new hospice building, in Crichel Mount Road, Poole, was commissioned by the Lewis-Manning Trust in 2012

Elizabeth Purcell, CEO of Lewis-Manning, said: “For nearly 25 years Lewis-Manning has offered the highest standards of care for people living with cancer and other life limiting illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease and motor neurone disease.

"The opening of our end of life unit marks the final stage of our benefactor, Marjorie Lewis-Manning's, vision for her home – to create a hospice and ensure that local people will not die alone.

"Now 30 years later we have been able to make her dream a reality."

The new 15-bed end of life care unit will now be open 24 hours day, seven days a week - providing free hospice care to more than 1,500 patients from the community each year.

A team of specialist nurses and doctors are on-hand at all times make certain that patients are cared for in the right place at the right time.

the aim of the hospice is to ensure that inappropriate admissions and deaths of palliative patients at the local Foundation Trust Hospitals will be significantly lessened.

The End of Life Care will be available to patients throughout Dorset and as with all of its services, will be free of charge.

Sally Church, patient team lead at the hospice said: “My team and I have always had one simple goal – to bring peace, comfort and dignity to every patient we see.

"This year for the first time I will have the responsibility of caring for patients at the end of their lives.

"It is a privilege and I cannot imagine having a more rewarding or fulfilling job."

For more information about the charity go to lewis-manning.co.uk or call 01202 708470.