A £13 million two-year construction project has been completed in Belfast.

Refurbishment work at the NI Hospice on the Somerton Road included a new 18 bed unit which will provide palliative care for patients with a wide range of life-limiting illnesses.

Health Minister Michelle O'Neill visited the new facility and paid tribute to the work done by hospices in Northern Ireland.

She said: "The NI Hospice plays a key part in caring for and supporting people with palliative and end of life care needs, as well as their families and carers, often when they are at their most vulnerable. I want to express my appreciation for the many staff and volunteers for their professionalism, commitment and dedication. Thanks to them, significant progress has been made to improve the quality of palliative and end of life care in the north."

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Chief Executive Heather Weir said: "The new Northern Ireland Hospice, which opened just seven days ago, is a state of the art dementia friendly centre for specialist palliative care. Delivering symptom management, end of life care and respite care, the new Hospice facility is fit for the future needs of local people. Care can now be extended beyond cancer diagnosis to offer palliative care to those with neurological and respiratory conditions and those with a dementia diagnosis. The new Hospice also encompasses a dedicated Education and Research Centre, placing NI Hospice at the very heart of the drive to extend a palliative care approach, training healthcare professionals both locally and internationally."

(CD)