ANGLESEY’S first-ever inpatient hospice is set to open next year.

The development will be a satellite of St David’s Hospice in Llandudno and the intention is to deliver the same service currently available at the main facility.

The new hospice is scheduled to open in 2019 and will see an unused ward at Holyhead’s Ysbyty Penrhos Stanley being converted it into four single-bedroom units for inpatient hospice care.

The £500,000 scheme will create 15 full-time jobs and is a collaboration between Anglesey Council and the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

The health board and the council will be providing short-term funding of 30 per cent for the first year towards nursing salary costs and 15 per cent in the second via the Intermediate Care Fund.

Welcoming the announcement, Cllr Bob Llewelyn Jones, the Isle of Anglesey County Council’s  older people’s champion said: “I’m pleased to see that local hospice beds are being developed to provide sensitive support for island residents at the most difficult of times.

“St David’s Hospice in Ysbyty Penrhos Stanley will be a welcome addition to palliative care on Anglesey.”

At present, the only inpatient hospice beds in North West Wales are based at St David’s main hospice in Llandudno which, for some patients, means a 90-minute journey.

St David’s will fund and train all staff at the unit, with the health board providing the space at the hospital and contributing towards the running costs of the building.

The new service will work closely with and complement the existing ‘hospice at home’ service on Anglesey, which recently merged with St David’s.

Its chief executive, Trystan Pritchard, said: “This exciting development will be an important step to ensuring the people of Anglesey and Gwynedd have the same choice in end of life care as has been available in Llandudno for 20 years.

“We look forward to working with the health board, Anglesey Council and local communities to give local people the care they deserve.”

According to St David’s, the project is currently in the design stage with architectural drawings set to be released soon.

Mr Pritchard added: “We need the support of local people to ensure we can fundraise to support the new hospice and we look forward to discussing our exciting plans with local communities over the next few months.”

The health board’s area director, Ffion Johnstone, said: “Our key aim is to deliver care closer to home and ensuring equity of access to services across the population of North Wales.

“The ‘satellite ‘hospice unit will provide more local access to hospice inpatient care for patients across Anglesey and Gwynedd who cannot be cared for at home.”