As part of Hospice Care Week, Julia Lopez called on the Government to address the funding challenges faced by the hospice care industry in a letter to the new Labour Health Secretary, Wes Streeting MP.
The letter comes after the CEO of St. Francis Hospice, Grazina Berry, invited Julia to a Parliamentary drop-in event on Thursday as part of Hospice Care Week, highlighting the financial challenges which hospices such as St. Francis face.
Julia met with Grazina at the Parliamentary drop-in to discuss the hospice’s current and future financial position.
Currently, St. Francis Hospice receives 69% of its funding through donations and charitable giving, with around £4m worth of funding coming directly from the Government.
However, rising costs have meant that the hospice has come under increasing financial pressure. For example, this year the hospice has seen their electricity and heating bills go up by 60%.
Local communities are simply unable to cover the shortfall between rising costs and current levels of statutory funding. As such, the sector has warned that hospices may be forced to close beds, reduce services and make staff redundant at a time when the number of people needing palliative care is forecast to grow by 25% by 2048.
Locally, St. Francis Hospice is developing their five-year strategy, looking at the hospice’s future and shaping their longer-term objectives underpinned by the need for growth, increased inclusion and greater collaboration with partners.
However, according to information by Hospice UK, uncertainty in relation to their future funding position could undermine this important work.
In her letter, Mrs Lopez pushed the new Health Secretary for information on his and the Department’s plans to support the future of the hospice care industry so that St. Francis and others like them can continue providing their vital work.
In related news, the new St. Francis shop on Hornchurch high street opened last week with special guest, Hammer’s legend Sir Trevor Brooking.
The store is the 14th which the hospice operates and will provide another revenue stream to support St. Francis’ vital work.
