To develop 16 individual en-suite rooms to provide a greater care environment for patients and families for generations to come. This will consist of the upgrading of our existing 8 rooms and the removal of our shared bays/repurposing of the IPU to create 8 new bedrooms. Breakout spaces, a new family room and additional nurses stations will also be introduced.
 

The need for specialist palliative and end-of-life care is growing rapidly, both nationally and within our local community. People are living longer, often with more complex health conditions, and as a result the demand for compassionate, personalised hospice care is increasing year on year.

Today, dignity, privacy and choice are more important than ever. Patients and families increasingly expect care environments to feel calm, personal and homely — spaces where meaningful moments can be shared, difficult conversations can take place in private, and loved ones can remain close during such important times of life.

Our community has been clear about this: over 91% of those asked said they would prefer a private room rather than shared accommodation.

However, our current Inpatient Unit was designed for a very different era. Shared bays limit privacy, restrict visiting, and can make it harder for patients and families to feel truly at ease. They also reduce flexibility in care delivery and present challenges in meeting modern standards around infection control, accessibility and individualised support.

Despite these limitations, demand for our services continues to grow. Without action, pressure on our facilities will increase, placing strain on staff, limiting patient choice and risking a care environment that no longer meets the needs of our community.

Now is the time to act. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform our Inpatient Unit, ensuring we can provide dignified, personalised hospice care not only for today’s community, but for generations to come.
 

Throughout the project, capacity on the InPatient Unit will be reduced to seven beds.

Throughout the duration of this project, Wakefield Hospice remains fully committed to providing safe, compassionate, and high-quality care to everyone we support.

Careful planning has taken place to ensure that patient safety, comfort, and dignity are fully protected at all times. We want to reassure you that our high standards of care — the standards you expect from us — will be maintained consistently throughout the project. 

Non InPatient Unit based services - including bereavement support, outreach, dementia care services and complementary therapy - are not expected to be affected by the project.

The work on Phase One will begin on Monday 30^th March 2026.

We have been in contact with stakeholders from across our community (including fellow care partner organisations, patients and families and staff and volunteers) and continue to have regular two-way communication with all audiences to ensure transparency and minimal disruption is experienced throughout the lifetime of the project.

We will make every effort to minimise noise, disruption and the impact of the works throughout the project. However, given the nature of the refurbishment, there may be times when some temporary inconvenience is unavoidable. Ear defenders and ear plugs will be available for all patients throughout the project.

Work will not take place 24/7 so evenings/night times will remain undisturbed times.
 

No. Visiting availability is not expected to be impacted throughout the entirety of the project.

The project has been funded through a variety of trusts and foundations, grants and large donations. This has allowed for our vital regular sources of income to remain untouched and available to help fund our usual services.

As a charity we receive just 25% of our funding from government sources, and therefore it was essential that funding was obtained before we could commit to this project, ensuring the vital funds we receive from our local community could continue to be used to provide our vital care services for local patients and families.
 

Additional parking is being created to manage demand for contractors vehicles so we are hopeful that car park disruption is minimal throughout the project. Regular car park monitoring continues to take place to ensure the car park is used for patients visitors, supporters, staff and volunteers only.

The contractors in charge of the project are O&P Construction Services, based in South Yorkshire with over 50 years of experience including working on similar large scale projects in healthcare settings.
 

Every patient will have their own private room, ensuring dignity, comfort and personalised care at every stage of their hospice journey, tailored to each patient’s clinical, emotional and cultural needs.

A calm, modern and homely environment will enhance comfort, wellbeing and peace of mind for patients in our care, from the beautiful bespoke artwork throughout the corridors and rooms to the fine homely touches which give the space a personalised finish.

Two of our rooms will have integrated hoists, providing enhanced safety and dignity for the user whilst optimising space and workflow.

All bedrooms will have access to gardens or outdoor seating, supporting wellbeing and connection with nature.

New and improved Breakout Areas provide welcoming places for families to rest, reflect and spend time together.

The reconfiguration allows us to care for more patients each year, helping to meet rising demand for specialist palliative care.

Upgrading and expanding our piped oxygen supply, together with individually controlled room temperatures, will significantly improve patient care, comfort and operational efficiency.

Individual rooms support better infection prevention, protecting vulnerable patients and staff.

An improved layout and additional nurse stations will enable staff to deliver high-quality care more efficiently and compassionately.

This once-in-a-generation transformation ensures Wakefield Hospice remains able to serve its community for decades to come.