A NEW suite is to be built at Barrow's hospital to allow dying patients the chance to spend precious time with their families in their final hours.

Described as a private "home-from-home" room, the bereavement suite at Furness General Hospital will be funded entirely from donations made to the Rosemere Cancer Foundation.

It is hoped work to create the new space on Ward Nine - the hospital's oncology unit - will begin later this month with the first patients able to benefit from it in October.

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FGH Ward Nine manager Michelle Mclaughlin said: "We are seeing more patients choosing to be nursed on Ward Nine as their preferred place of care when approaching end of life.

"As a result, we would like to be able to give patients the opportunity to receive their nursing in an end of life focused suite with a less clinical environment.

"It would give them the opportunity to feel they were in a ‘home from home’ and the individual space would also benefit their families and those closest to them," she added.

The new room is to be named The Maple Suite and will be created from a staff meeting room at a finished cost of £47,500.

Ms Mclaughlin added: "Thanks to

Rosemere, we now have the opportunity to benefit those who are most poorly."

The Rosemere Cancer Foundation uses its donations throughout south Cumbria and Lancashire to fund vital equipment, training and research not provided by the NHS, as well as some complimentary therapies.