The bid to build a new hospice in Norfolk has taken a step closer to reality after a contract to build it was confirmed.

The Priscilla Bacon Hospice charity has announced that Morgan Sindall Construction has been awarded the contract to build the new Priscilla Bacon Lodge.

It marks the commencement of the project to build a new state-of-the-art hospice on an eight-acre site of land adjacent to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, donated by Robert and Charlotte Carter to mark the centenary of R G Carter Ltd.

The fundraising campaign to build the new Priscilla Bacon Lodge was launched in February 2019 and is backed by the EDP and over £10 million of the £12.5 million needed has been raised.

Mr Carter said: “As chairman of the trustees for the Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity and of R G Carter Group, I wanted to ensure that my gift of land was an unconditional donation to the charity, therefore my firm did not compete for the building contract. We are therefore delighted that Morgan Sindall Construction, another regional company, won this prestigious contract.

"This is another milestone for the charity, as it brings us another step closer to turning the dream of a new hospice for Norfolk and Waveney into a reality.

"The need for the new Priscilla Bacon Lodge has never been greater and it will be the first hospice built in the post-Covid era, encompassing the latest developments in infection control."

Once built, the new facility will have the capacity for 24 inpatient beds. It will offer improved day care facilities, with a wellness centre and gym, as well as the space to host a community hub to provide ‘virtual ward’ care for people being cared for in their homes. The new hospice will also be a platform for education and research into palliative and end-of-life care.

Sandra Dinneen, for the charity, said: “This purpose-built facility will not only meet current requirements, but will be fit for the future, with the potential for further growth on this site and the flexibility to adapt to changing models of care.

"We are delighted that this marks the start of the building project, which will enable the first patients to be welcomed into the new facility in the summer of 2023.”

Alister Broadberry, Morgan Sindall Construction’s Eastern Counties area director, said: "We are excited to maximise the community benefit delivered by the new development, as well as provide real social value benefit to the wider area throughout the project."

Donate at www.priscillabaconhospice.org.uk/donate.