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New £1.6m end-of-life unit opens at hospital

QEH Inside a bedroom at the new palliative care unit. There is a hospital bed with a golden throw on top. Surrounding the bed is a bedside unit, bins and sink. On the wall is the painting of a tree with lights across the branchesQEH
The unit began receiving its first patients on Wednesday

A new £1.6m hospital unit designed to provide patients with a "tranquil and dignified space" at the end of their life has officially opened.

The Peddars Way Unit at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), in King's Lynn, Norfolk, has been built away from the main hospital wards.

It has five en-suite bedrooms, each with "calming lighting and bespoke artwork".

Alice Webster, chief executive of The QEH, said the unit represented "a significant step forward" in how it cared for patients.

Alice Webster is wearing a white patterned top below a dark grey suit
Alice Webster says she is "deeply moved" by fundraisers that helped to make the unit a reality

The new purpose-built unit was entirely funded by donations to the hospital's charity, QEHKL, and was designed for patients to spend their "final hours and days" surrounded by loved ones.

Tapping House, a King's Lynn-based palliative care charity, advised on the development of the unit.

"I am deeply moved by the incredible generosity of our community, which has brought this vision for our QEHKL charity to life," Ms Webster said.

"I also want to express my heartfelt gratitude to our exceptional palliative care teams. Their unwavering passion and expertise have been the cornerstone of shaping this facility."

The unit is named after Peddars Way – a 46-mile (74km) trail that starts on the north Norfolk coast and finishes just over the border in Suffolk, near Thetford.

The new unit received its first patients on Wednesday.

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