Two new care lodges have been opened at Dorothy House Hospice to allow terminally ill patients to stay together in comfort with their families.

Miranda, the Duchess of Beaufort, visited the Winsley hospice on Friday where she opened the two new two-bedroom community lodges.

The charity’s patron toured the new buildings with around 40 other guests, including members of the local community, charity supporters, patients and their families.

Senior fundraiser Philippa Watson said: “It was a lovely day, with gorgeous weather.

“The lodges are an extension of our hospice at home provision, so it’s for people that could be coming for respite care for about a week or so.

“They are for the people whose home environment maybe isn’t ideal for the family all to be together. They are two-bedroom lodges, so the patients and the primary carers can stay together. This means they can have their family around them and still have access to health care assistance.”

The lodges were partly funded by a £262,497 Department of Health grant last year, and took around 18 months to design and build.

Mrs Wilson said: “We are always looking to do more but we want to get these two up and running first.

“This is a project which doesn’t necessarily have a beginning and an end.”