BURY Hospice has got to extend or move if it is to meet the needs of future generations.

Michael Garrity, chairman of the hospice which is the smallest unit in the country, said: "The hospice is too small and so we have to act.

He told hospice supporters on Tuesday: "If we don't then we would end up with unacceptable queues and people would have to stay in hospital or at home for longer than they should."

Trustees have put forward two options. The first is to extend the current site from a five-bed to a 12-bed unit. Alternatively they could build a new 12-bed unit, possibly on land at Fairfield General Hospital, but this would cost up to three times more.

Mr Garrity said: "The preferred option is to extend the existing Dumers Lane building, not for financial reasons, but because it is better for patients to be treated as near to their homes as possible.

"It's important that the hospice is a home from home, somewhere where their final days are as pleasant as possible. This is something that may not be achieved in the premises of an acute hospital."

The Trustees also feel that if the hospice was in the grounds of Fairfield, then people might assume it was being funded by the NHS and fund-raising would suffer. At the moment it costs £850,000 a year to keep the hospice going. This would increase to around £1.3 million if it was extended. The NHS provides 27 per cent of of funding, with the public raising the rest.

Hospice fund-raising manager, Mervyn Reeves, said: "I personally believe the people of Bury would rally round and raise the money needed for a bigger hospice.

"This is a tried and tested service and people know what they can expect. They have supported us for 20 years and I am sure they will respond in a similar way in the future as we deliver high quality care to even more people."

Bury Hospice Association was informed of the situation at its annual general meeting on Tuesday, and hospice staff have also been told.

Mr Garrity said: "We have to make a decision soon. We cannot continue as we are if are to meet the needs of future generations. The very high level of quality care the hospice provides has to be matched by quantity."