Cambridge hospice 'humbled' by support after £829k funding cut
Arthur Rank Hospice has been told funding will end in six months' time
The boss of a Cambridge hospice at risk of losing £829,000 in NHS funding has said she's encouraged by the support received so far.
A petition set up by South Cambridgeshire MP to save nine inpatient beds at the Arthur Rank Hospice has been signed at least 10,000 times.
"It has been heartening and humbling to see the response from our community and what we need is to turn that response into a sustainable model that means we can continue to provide that level of care," Sharon Allen, CEO at the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, said.
Since 2017, the hospice - which has 21 beds - has been looking after patients from Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge who would otherwise be cared for in the hospital itself.
But the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) has decided to pull the funding in six months' time.
“The removal of this funding has truly devastated us all," Ms Allen said.
"We do understand the financial pressures the hospital and the NHS sector is under, so unfortunately, fewer people who need this care will be able to access it."
'Value for money'
CUH commissioned Arthur Rank Hospice to provide nine additional beds for end-of-life care for its patients eight years ago as part of a pilot scheme.
A CUH spokesperson said it has been able to relieve pressures for inpatient beds within the Trust by having access to around six beds at the Arthur Rank Hospice.
"At the start of this financial year, in order to maintain core services within a reduced budget, we undertook an affordability and value for money assessment of these additional beds," the spokesperson said.
"Whilst the service offered to patients is high quality and valued by them and their families, we have taken the very difficult decision to stop purchasing the extra beds with effect from April 2026."
Hospice boss warns of job losses
As well As Ms Heylings, the county's other Liberal Democrat MPs - Charlotte Cane and Ian Sollom - have also got behind a campaign to save the nine beds.
In a joint statement, the trio said the Arthur Rank Hospice “provides such important care to families, enabling people to die with dignity whilst receiving professional, caring support for themselves and their loved ones.
“Everyone deserves access to excellent care right until the very end of their lives."
Ms Allen has warned jobs could be lost if the money isn't raised.
She said Cambridgeshire's other MPs have also been contacted about the charity's situation, which she hopes can make a difference.
"The thought that people are not going to be able to access this service, as well as the prospect some of my colleagues might have to be made redundant makes me really sad," Ms Allen said.
"I'm very hopeful the MPs will use their channels to contact the people who can influence this.
"We have a number of different models that blend together to provide the service, and I think it's going to be incredibly challenging but it's something we're committed to doing our very best to try and achieve."
"It has been heartening and humbling to see the response from our community and what we need is to turn that response into a sustainable model that means we can continue to provide that level of care.