Irish Hospice Foundation/HSE announce new round of Design & Dignity Grants

THE Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) and the HSE today announced the beneficiaries of the new round of Design & Dignity grants which include St. Monica's gynaecology ward at University Hospital Galway.

Nine hospitals around Ireland will benefit from grants totalling €500,000 which will help transform older /dated spaces including family rooms, gardens and mortuaries. The Design & Dignity grants scheme is operated and co-funded by the IHF and the HSE.

St. Monica’s Ward in University Hospital Galway, Saolta University Health Care Group, is to receive €56,000 under the Design & Dignity Grants scheme. Following a high profile maternal death a number of actions were agreed for University Hospital Galway, including improving the facilities available to women experiencing pregnancy loss.

The grant will be used to create a single en-suite room on St Monica’s Ward which is used for the care of women experiencing pregnancy loss, and also gynaecological patients who are approaching the end of their life.

Ann Cosgrove, General Manager Galway University Hospitals, warmly welcomed the grant allocation today saying it will go towards transforming existing accommodation to support patient care.

“We are really pleased with today's announcement as it will allow us to significantly improve the environment that our patients are in when they are ill.  Pregnancy loss is a very emotional time for couples and this project will provide a dignified, dedicated   space with privacy at this difficult time. 

This substantial grant will make a real difference to patients. We are very excited about this new project.”

To date 11 projects have been funded across the country under the Design & Dignity scheme at a cost of €1.5m.

Other recipients of the grants announced today include: Portiuncula Hospital Ballinasloe and Roscommon Hospital, all from the Saolta University Health Care Group;  Ennis Hospital; Kerry General Hospital; St John’s Hospital in Limerick  and  St James’ Hospital; Beaumont Hospital and The Mater Hospital all based in Dublin.

Projects vary from the provision of a bereavement suite, to family rooms and mortuary refurbishments.

Sharon Foley, CEO of the Irish Hospice Foundation, commented: “‘The Design & Dignity Fund aims to bring design excellence to hospitals where so many people spend the last days of their lives.

We have already seen the grants improve facilities in hospitals across the country and are delighted to announce 12 more projects for 2015.”

Three projects that have benefited to date from the Design & Dignity grant fund  - a mortuary in Mercy University Hospital in Cork, a family room in The Mater in Dublin and a mortuary in Beaumont Hospital - Dublin will be featured on Nationwide on RTÉ One this Friday, January 16, at 7pm.