His Majesty, the King opens Priscilla Bacon Lodge

New state-of-the-art palliative unit, specifically designed to provide holistic care and for patients to enjoy the surrounding landscape and gardens.

Priscilla Bacon Lodge
credit:James Alexander-Sinclair

The Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity was formed in 2016 to fundraise to build the new hospice on the 8-acre site in Norfolk. The £12.5 million appeal was launched in February 2019. The Charity is committed to enhancing the experience of patients and their loved ones by supplementing the core services delivered by the Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust.

The King spent time with the patients receiving end-of-life care, alongside their families, volunteers, nurses, and NHS staff working at the hospice. His majesty also visited the hospice’s therapy garden, which enables patients to enjoy the outside space and provides solace and comfort to patients and their families.

The therapy garden was designed by Oxfordshire based designer, James Alexander Sinclair. James runs a garden-design firm and specialises in medium to large country gardens, working across the UK and abroad. A popular speaker on the horticulture lecture circuit, James regularly features on BBC gardening shows, is Vice President of the RHS Council and a Chelsea Flower Show judge. In an interview about his design for the hospice garden he rightly said, “We all die and nobody should have to do it while looking at a blank wall or the bins”.

The Priscilla Bacon Lodge welcomed its first patients last month and also acts as a hub for community-based services, enabling people to also receive care in their own homes.