THE new Kemp Hospice will make life easier for both terminally-ill patients and their families, according to a woman who lost her husband.

Elaine Wall has described how facilities were not available to allow her husband Cyril, who died of a brain tumour aged 68 in March, to spend his last weeks at the hospice instead of Kidderminster Hospital.

And she said she is "taunted" he died alone, as she and her children could not make it to the hospital in time.

Kemp Hospice's new £2.2million centre, due to be completed by 2004, will allow patients such as Mr Wall to be cared for in an in-patient unit offering pain and symptom control and specialist nursing care.

Emotional needs of patients and their families will also be catered for by counselling and bereavement facilities, and overnight accommodation will be available for relatives.

Mrs Wall, 62, of Pembroke Way, Stourport, is so determined to help people in her family's position in the future, she has raised £560 towards the appeal for the centre from friends and neighbours.

"I only wish Kemp Hospice had been available for him to have the special care I so wanted him to have," she said.

While saying staff at Kidderminster Hospital did all they could to make her and her husband comfortable, Mrs Wall stressed he should have been in an environment designed for terminally ill patients.

"He was not in the right place for someone terminally ill - Kidderminster Hospital is not geared up for it.

"The brain cancer took Cyril's speech and he could not explain what he wanted and what was wrong.

"In my opinion you need specially trained people to deal with that."

She added: "And the family needs help to be able to cope with what's happening to the person that's very dear to them.

"I hope the appeal goes from strength to strength."