North London Hospice unveils plans to build for tomorrow

We are about to embark on one of the most ambitious projects undertaken since our hospice was built in the early 1990s.

In the three decades since our hospice building was opened in Finchley, much has changed. The numbers of people requiring our help has increased and as the population grows and ages, their needs have become broader, multi-faceted and more complicated.

Whilst our models of care have adapted and advanced, our facilities and structures have not.

Our Inpatient Unit needs to be redeveloped

We want everyone to come into our hospice and feel as calm and held as possible and we know the environment contributes greatly to achieving this.

Having not been significantly altered for 30 years, our Inpatient Unit is now outdated and unable to offer the peace and tranquillity that sets our hospice care apart from others.

Our rooms are small and make it difficult for staff to bring equipment to patients and complicates the delivery of clinical and personal care. The size also severely limits the number of visitors that can comfortably share the space at one time and makes wheelchair accessibility challenging.

Some rooms have more privacy than others and some rooms do not have direct access to our gardens or courtyard. Our rooms have no air conditioning meaning that in the summer they can become stiflingly hot.

We are immensely proud of the care we provide for our patients and wider community every year. However, our building is now holding us back. Our patients and their loved ones deserve better.

We need to build for tomorrow.

What are we proposing?

After extensive consultation and research, including exploring several different options, we have concluded that a complete redevelopment of the Inpatient Unit is the best solution for us to meet future needs of our patients.

We are at the very start of this journey.

We have now received planning permission to rebuild our Inpatient Unit and have gone out to tender to appoint a contractor. We hope to select one by the end of March 2026.

Building for Tomorrow

Our hospice was built by our community, for our community. This project, Building for Tomorrow, will enable us to continue to be there for our community in the decades to come.

Our fundraising team have officially launched the early phase of the appeal to raise the £10.4m needed for this project. However, we still have a long way to go before any building work will commence. It is anticipated that it will start in summer 2026 if enough money is raised. We have been advised that the building work will take approximately 12 months.

We put our patients at the heart of everything we do and are working hard to minimise the inevitable disruption that this will cause. North London Hospice will continue to provide specialise care and inpatient services during this period, and we will be temporarily relocating to the Jade Ward at Edgware Hospital. More information about this will be provided in the coming weeks.

A state-of-the-art facility fit for the future

As a local charity, North London Hospice is very proud of our Inpatient Unit in Woodside Avenue which first opened over 30 years ago. Hospice care is a unique and highly specialised area of medicine.

Building for Tomorrow will create a state-of-the-art, sustainable facility for patients and their families that will continue to meet their complex care needs now and well into the future.

Specific improvements will include:

• A private, more dignified entrance for patients when they enter the hospice
• Larger bedrooms with tables and sofa-beds so that loved ones can stay the night and spend quality time together
• More space for staff, so that specialist equipment can be easily brought into rooms to better support patients. More space for visitors, meaning more people can spend time with their loved ones
• Bright rooms with natural light and improved lighting with provision to alter the brightness to provide increased comfort
• Temperature controls for each room so that patients are always kept comfortable and can have a choice over how warm or cool their environment is
• Brand-new ensuite facilities, which are all accessible, ensuring that patients receive the care and support they need

It was 40 years ago that our community came together to create North London Hospice and thus a new landscape for end-of-life care in our area.

This is another such moment where our community can make a real difference, so that we can offer the highest-quality care for the next 40 years and beyond.

Your support makes hospice care happen. Will you help us to build for tomorrow?