A hospice supporting people with life-limiting illnesses will be given a facelift after receiving £385,000 in government funding.

North London Hospice (NLH) in Woodside Avenue, North Finchley has been handed a share of £60million awarded to 176 hospices to improve their care facilities.

NLH will use the money to refurbish the ground floor of the hospice providing better accessibility for patients and new treatment rooms for clinical appointments such as blood transfusions and meetings with social workers.

There will also be space for extended day treatments, clinical support and advice for out-patients who want to visit the centre.

The reception area will be renovated into an open plan space where patients’ carers, friends and family members can make themselves at home.

Douglas Bennett, chief executive for NLH said the organisation was “delighted” to have received the funding. 

He said: “Our vision is to further enhance our facilities to meet the needs of the patients we are caring for in the community, as well as those of their families friends and carers.

“The development will allow the hospice to offer a broader range of activities, a more relaxing environment and therefore a higher quality of care.

“North London Hospice aims to support patients and their families at what can be the most difficult time of their lives. The planned changes will further improve the patient and family experience and also expand our vital services so we can continue to care for our communities in Barnet, Enfield and Haringey.”

The funding was committed as part of the Department of Health’s strategy to provide high quality care for all adults approaching the end of their life, in July 2008.

Run in partnership with the charity Help the Hospices, the funding was made available to projects delivering improvements directly benefitting patients.