History
1212-1918 - Lostock Hall
It is understood that Lostock Hall belonged to the De Lostock family during the reign of Edward II, 1154-1189 as part of the hamlet of Cuerden Green. St Catherine's Hospice stands on what was probably the site of the original 13th century Lostock Hall, which was built by James de Lostock who was recorded as living there in the year 1212. That original building was destroyed by fire, but parts of the present old house date back to at least 1764, by which date the Hall had been rebuilt by William Clayton, the banker of Preston.
The Hall was inherited by George Clayton who lived there with his wife Dolly, until his death aged 86 in 1829. It then passed to George's son, William, until he moved to the South of England in 1847.
In 1881 the Hall was purchased by Harry Dewhurst of Messrs Geo & R. Dewhurst (founders of the Silko cotton thread works) who continued to live there until 1918.
1922-1982 - Lostock Hall Convalescent Hospital
Harry Dewhurst relocated to Cheshire after World War I, and gave the Hall and its six and a half acres of grounds to Preston Royal Infirmary. It opened as Lostock Hall Convalescent Hospital for women and children in June 1922, and continued in that role for 60 years until it was closed in 1982 when Lancashire Area Health Authority ceased to exist.
1981 to the present St Catherine's Hospice
In December 1981, Kitty Sharples and the other founder trustees formally established St. Catherine's Hospice (Lancashire) Limited as a charity, started to raise funds and a search for suitable premises for a Hospice to serve Preston, Chorley and South Ribble. The Lostock Hall site, which is in the geographic centre of the three boroughs, was an ideal location and the trustees purchased the redundant house and grounds from the NHS.
After modifications and renovation Lostock Hall re-emerged as St Catherine's Hospice, a home care sister was appointed in 1984 and day care began on 29 April 1985, the feast of St Catherine of Siena, after whom the Hospice was named. In-patient facilities for up to 12 patients opened on 8th July 1985.
Within six years capacity was insufficient and the first of the modern building extensions, providing extra beds, was opened by Diana, Princess of Wales, in January 1993.
In June 1997, building work started on the second major extension which enabled day care capacity to be increased to 20 patients per day and provided facilities for therapy and rehabilitation services, together with clinical and administrative offices and an enlarged education unit. This extension was opened by the Hospice President, Dr Raymond Consiglio, in June 1998.
The design of this new building extension has been recognised for the way in which it complements the old house. It is a fitting tribute to Ken Latham, who was the architect for the Hospice for 20 years, that this building has received a Certificate of Merit from the Preston and South Ribble Civic Trust.
Refurbishment, extensions and developments have kept pace with patient expectations and the potential of the now recognised field of specialised palliative care.
The Love Jeanette Appeal, three successful bids for major funds from the Department of Health and a number of generous donations enabled major refurbishment from 2004-2011. This included rescuing the old building from collapse as the footfall of 60 years of a Convalescent Hospital and 24 years of a Hospice had taken its toll on a building designed as a family dwelling. New work included more single patient rooms with ensuite facilities and space for relatives to stay with patients overnight, a new heating system, a new much larger kitchen, new outpatient facilities, a new laundry, completely refurbished Day Therapy rooms, a bright new airy reception, a safer entrance driveway and an extra car park.
With an ever increasing range of services the Hospice introduced an electronic patient record system in 2010 to make sure that the highest quality information is available to clinicians in the Hospice and in a patient's own home. The introduction of video conferencing in 2010 created improved access to non-Hospice based clinicians as the Hospice began to care for more patients with various types and combinations of medical conditions.
The expansion of services and new possibilities created through research and development has meant that as well as specialised palliative care being provided overnight in the Hospice, for the day, through outpatients appointments and at home, additional related services are available, these include: family support through trained social workers, Lymphoedema services for adults and children, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, complementary therapy, chaplaincy and hairdressing. The Hospice also provides a 24hr help line, delivers education in the local area and participates in research. Training for carers working in care homes has been particularly beneficial in enabling patients to stay in the care home rather than being transferred into hospital.
To achieve this St Catherine's relies on the generosity of local people and the dedication and creativity of staff and volunteers. As a local independent charity St Catherine's works to benefit your friends and neighbours in Chorley, Longridge, Preston and South Ribble, there are no head office 'overheads' and you can easily see how we use your donations Thank you for your interest in St Catherine's.
