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 | | Thursday, 28 March, 2002, 12:07 GMT 'Sad day' as hospice closes  The hospice is based in an 18th Century hall A much-loved hospice in Leicestershire is closing down despite local protests. Staunton Harold Hall is shutting on Thursday. Owners, Sue Ryder Care, took the decision last November after the owners of the building, the separate charity the Ryder Cheshire Foundation, said it was selling the premises. Local people had campaigned to save the hospice, which is based in the 18th Century listed hall near Ashby de la Zouch. 'Brilliant' hospice Campaigner Dorothy Lacey, whose husband was cared for at the hospice, said: "I feel that it's a very, very sad day for the patients, also for the staff. "How on earth are the relatives going to cope?"
Mrs Lacey described the care as "absolutely brilliant" and said she is still campaigning for a replacement hospice. A spokesman for Sue Ryder Care said the charity would still be involved in respite care in Leicestershire and Derbyshire. He said: "But it is very sad for us that it had to close". He added that the campaign to keep the 18-bed hospice open had been "heart-warming". "There's been a great groundswell of feeling." A spokeswoman for North-West Leicestershire Primary Care Group - one of the services which sent patients to the hospice - said that care would still be provided for the terminally ill in the area. Three more beds are being laid on at another hospice in Leicestershire, services at three community hospitals are being increased, and more care is being provided in patients' own homes. In addition, the spokeswoman said the group hoped to keep the expertise of the Sue Ryder Care nurses by employing some in new roles. "But we do understand that people are upset. "It was a very beautiful setting." | |   See also: Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top England stories now:  Links to more England stories are at the foot of the page. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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