A NEW era in care for patients with life-limiting illnesses is moving closer with the imminent move of Kidderminster-based Kemp Hospice to new premises.

It is hoped the relocation of patient facilities and administration from the current Sutton Park Road base to the former Cedars Hotel site in Mason Road will be completed within the next two months.

One of the people involved in the major step in the hospice's development, fund-raising manager, John Fletcher, is looking forward to seeing the new centre up and running.

Reflecting on how the impending move came about, he said: "When the trustees of Kemp Hospice decided that the present building in Sutton Park Road wasn't big enough they decided to take the plunge and go ahead with the building of a new hospice and this decision was taken in 2001.

"The new hospice was going to be built right next door to the present hospice. So it had, for many years, been a vision - a dream of the trustees - that they would have a new hospice.

"The fund-raising department at Kemp couldn't, on their own, raise enough money to keep the existing service going and raise £2.2 million to pay for a new hospice at that time.

"That was why I was asked to come and head up the capital appeal. We launched this appeal to build the hospice in Sutton Park Road.

"Then, out of the blue, we suddenly heard that an en suite 21-bedroom hotel - The Cedars - in Mason Road in Kidderminster was coming on the market for sale.

"When the trustees heard about this they were very interested. In the end, the decision was taken not to proceed with the new hospice on Sutton Park Road but to buy the hotel, refurbish it and turn that into the new Kemp Hospice.

Factors influencing the change of direction were a saving of £500,000 on the original scheme, acceleration of the move by a year and The Cedars was nearly twice the size a new hospice would have been.

"We were also able to sell the land up here Sutton Park Road which, in effect, gave us finance to be able to buy the hotel," said Mr Fletcher, "That land is now having houses built on it.

"Our administration staff up at the hospice are due to move up to the Mason Road site in the last week of February.

"If that administration move doesn't throw up any problems, then we hope to have our first patients in our new hospice around the first week of March.

"There will probably be an official opening in late spring."

l Kemp Hospice caters for up to 12 people a day in the day care centre. When it moves to Mason Road, that figure should double. Last year, there were more than 3,000 day care visits.