Building Better End of Life Care: North London Hospice

This Housing LIN Case Study no 114 strikes a balance between good hospice design and understanding the way services for people at end of life and their carers are delivered holistically.

Set in a suburban residential area, North London Hospice is a distinctive and dignified new building supporting people with a terminal illness at end of life and their carers. Completed in May 2012, the £1.8 million building fulfils the aspiration to increase the provision of palliative care in a contemporary, beautiful and non-clinical environment.

Before the charity opened this new day centre in 2012, all services were delivered out of its facility in Finchley. However, responding to a significant increase in demand, the development of a new centre in Winchmore Hill, Enfield, in 2012 has tripled the charity's capacity to serve up to 300 of the 800 people per month diagnosed with a life-limiting illness across the boroughs of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey, North London.

A key objective of the design was for the new centre to be inclusive, encouraging patients and their carers to drop-in for a chat, join in creative therapies or undergo treatments.