A hospice at Elland has unveiled plans for expansion.

Overgate Hospice has bought a residential building next to its existing site at Hullen Edge Road to create a new inpatient unit.

The hospice said it was in the very early stages of the design phase and was not yet able to say how much it would have to raise to realise its plans. But it said work on the unit would not start until the hospice had raised most of the funds needed.

It said the new unit would enable Overgate to tackle pressures on current capacity and provide a facility “fit for future generations and designed to give patients and their families the best possible care at the end of life”.

Overgate said its current 12-bed in-patient unit had supported and cared for many patients and their families over the past 20 years, but that palliative care had developed enormously since then and the needs of patients had increased as people were living longer with more complex illnesses.

Growth in the Calderdale population was also a contributing factor to the need to modernise and improve facilities.

Worcester-based KKE Architects, which has years of experience in working with hospices on building developments, has been appointed to design the new in-patient unit in a project which could take up to five years. Huddersfield-based Ramsdens Solicitors assisted with the purchase of the property.

The hospice said it would work with staff, volunteers, patients, families and neighbours to include as many ideas as possible in the new unit during the five-year project to improve the “already wonderful” care provided.

Chief executive Janet Cawtheray said; “We want to share this information with all of our supporters as this is such a significant landmark for the hospice – the start of a new and exciting journey in creating a new inpatient unit for the people of Calderdale that will be able to meet the increasing demands and expectations for palliative care services in the future.

“We look forward to your support when we launch a capital appeal – and for now our fundraising efforts are still focused on raising the £6,800 we need every day to continue in the provision of the wonderful care that we are providing right now.”