King Charles III toured Priscilla Bacon Lodge, a new hospice facility on the outskirts of Norwich, which recently admitted its first patients. Despite the rain, the King was warmly welcomed by the Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk, Lady Dannatt. He was introduced to Lady Bacon, patron of the Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity, as well as the chair of trustees, Robert Carter, and the chief executive, Sandra Dinneen. Inside the facility, the King met with Agnes, a therapy dog, who amused him by licking his hand. The dog’s owner, Anne Eldridge, has been volunteering for the charity for 20 years and described Agnes as a calm and gentle dog that everyone loves.
During his visit, King Charles III participated in a breathlessness workshop with outpatients, including Bernard Godding, an 81-year-old patient who expressed his gratitude for the King’s presence in Norfolk. The King replied, “It’s a jolly good place Norfolk, isn’t it?” as he is a regular visitor to his Sandringham Estate in the county. He also had the opportunity to meet fundraisers, including Malcolm Metcalf, who completed 100 challenges in support of the hospice on his 90th birthday. These challenges ranged from riding a horse to taking part in a litter pick on Gorleston Beach.
One of the patients the King met was Rebecca Turner, a 31-year-old woman from Norwich who has stage three melanoma. Her four-year-old daughter, Arielle Bayliss, was making crowns beside her bed during the visit. Turner expressed her love for the hospice, stating that she feels like a princess there and enjoys being given Baileys every day at 11 am. In addition to meeting patients and their families, the King also explored the hospice’s gardens and met the volunteers who maintain them. He signed a register during his visit, next to his signature from a previous visit in March 1998 to the facility’s predecessor on Unthank Road.
The campaign to raise £12.5 million for the new Priscilla Bacon Lodge took four years. The facility, located on an eight-acre site next to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, offers a state-of-the-art palliative care unit, inpatient beds, a day unit, and a wellbeing centre. It will also serve as a hub for community-based services, allowing patients to receive care in their own homes. The appeal for funds was supported by the EDP and its readers. Overall, King Charles III’s visit to Priscilla Bacon Lodge highlighted the importance of quality end-of-life care and brought attention to the dedicated staff, volunteers, and patients who benefit from the hospice’s services.
