A day service used by terminally ill people is likely to move out of its Knowle home 25 years after it was launched.

St Peter's Hospice could move the daytime sessions in St Agnes Avenue from September if the board of trustees confirm the decision next month.

The charity's chief executive, Sandie Foxall-Smith, said the side of the building where the day hospice was based was not safe and the only option was to transfer the service to Brentry.

As reported in the Post last month, St Peter's is considering closing the Knowle site because it is becoming too expensive to maintain.

The charity is considering replacing it with a purpose-built hospice, possibly at Hengrove Park near the new community hospital where building work will start shortly.

A review of all services at the hospice organisation is now being undertaken and could even lead to some staff losing their jobs.

Ms Foxall-Smith would not comment on whether employees were at risk of redundancy but told the Post that the charity had to ensure donations were spent in a way that would help as many patients as possible.

Trustees will make a decision about the move of the day hospice at a meeting on June 25. But staff were told about the possible move this week because, Ms Foxall-Smith said, changes needed to be made at the Charlton Road site before September.

Some volunteers at the site raised concerns about the move, but Ms Foxall-Smith said St Peter's was putting patients first in all decisions made about the care.

The chief executive said no decisions had been made about what services will be included in a new building if it goes ahead and said it would be covered as part of a review.

A meeting of medics and nurses was due to be held this week to help determine the hospice's needs going forward.

Ms Foxall-Smith said: "All services are being reviewed across St Peter's and no decisions other than to move day hospice services have been made.

"In the current economic climate, businesses and charities are not immune to change and we have a responsibility to ensure that the money donated by the people of Bristol is used to help as many people as possible with terminal illnesses.

"We have not completed the review of services or the feasibility study for a new site in South Bristol, so we have made no decisions as yet regarding staffing levels or services.

"Our main priority is to put the patients first."

St Peter's has provided a day hospice service at Knowle since 1984. The charity celebrated its 30th anniversary last year and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex visited the Brentry hospice last month.

The Knowle hospice was created in 1980 from two houses built more than 100 years ago and Ms Foxall-Smith said it required patching up worth £300,000 in the next 18 months to ensure it was fit for patients.

She said: "The day hospice is severely affected by heating issues due to the antiquated plumbing. It does not meet health and safety criteria or standards set by the disability discrimination act at all.

"We have to make sure it is safe for both patients and staff."

Ms Foxall-Smith said that day patients would benefit from the same service as at Knowle and would still be picked up and driven to the sessions by St Peter's drivers free of charge.

"The day hospice side of the Knowle building is not safe and the only thing to do is to decant patients to Brentry.

"There is plenty of space at Brentry to do it and we are working through a plan as to how drivers will bring people across.

"The service will not change."

Ms Foxall-Smith said that only a few of the patients who used the day hospice actually lived in Knowle and most were brought there from elsewhere.