A HOSPICE has agreed to leave its current premises and must now find somewhere else as a base.

But management at Willow Burn Hospice, currently based in the grounds of Maiden Law Hospital at Maiden Law, near Lanchester, are hopeful of securing a brand new, purpose-built hospice on the site of Shotley Bridge Hospital, near Consett.

The future of the hospice has become an issue as a result of a high-level NHS discussion paper on the future of the care of terminally ill patients.

Willow Burn is the only hospice in North Durham which provides round-the-clock care for terminally ill patients, most of whom have cancer. Up to 40 patients a week receive care there.

It depends on public donations to pay half of the yearly running costs of £350,000. The rest comes from the NHS.

Management has indicted to staff at the County Durham and Darlington NHS Health Authority that they accept they may have to relocate.

But they also said they would wish to relocate to Shotley Bridge Hospital, preferably in a purpose-built premises. Now health workers in Derwentside are to set up a working party to look at the whole future of the hospice. The future of the Maiden Law Hospital site will be determined by the health authority at a later date.

Manager at Willow Burn, Ken Blenkin, said: "We fully appreciate that the health authority made the place available to us and have supported us fully over the years. If we are honest we have to admit that the place is too small for us now and it is an expensive place for us to operate from.

"Our vision would be to have a purpose-built place at Shotley Bridge Hospital but it is very early days yet. Everything depends on what comes of the discussion paper. I would like to stress that Willow Burn hospice will continue in some form even if we offer different services. This is a matter of location."

Mr Blenkin added that Willow Burn is to team up with St Cuthbert's Hospice at Merry Oaks in Durham City to establish a home nursing service. The cost of the service over three years will be £240,000.

Willow Burn will pay about £120,000 towards those costs, of which £116,000 came from the Lottery. St Cuthbert's will contribute £60,000 and the rest will come from the NHS. The hospices advertised for staff for the service last week.

Willow Burn Hospice employs 15 staff and has eight beds. It was opened in 1990 as a day care unit and first offered 24-hour care in 1992.