Urgent help needed to stop hospice care cuts- King's Lynn charity
A senior group of MPs warn too many people are dying in hospitals as services face cuts and a looming financial “cliff edge”.
A hospice in King's Lynn tells us palliative care services could be cut- unless urgent help comes soon.
MPs are criticising health leaders over a so-called growing funding crisis in the sector- which they say is resulting in too many people dying in hospital.
The Public Accounts Committee says the government and NHS England are "not responding to the growing financial crisis in the adult hospice sector with the seriousness and urgency the situation demands".
You can read the full report here.
The UK government says it's providing £125 million in one-off capital funding for adult and children’s hospices, plus a dedicated £80 million over three years for children's services by 2028/29.
"This all takes time to implement. But we are at that cliff-edge today"
Nicola Ellis is CEO of Tapping House:
"Some of that money needs to flow into the independent hospice sector. The sad reality is that despite our local Integrated Care Board taking it incredibly seriously, this all takes time to implement. But we are at that cliff-edge today.
"We're seen massive increases in all of our expenditure. Literally everything that we buy in has gone up in price significantly
"We want to see our staff paid a fair wage, but we've seen no increase in our funding streams from the Government- which were poor to start with.
"I have seen first-hand how our funding is already making a real difference"
Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock said:
"Hospices play a vital role in our society by providing invaluable care and support when people need it most.
"At this most difficult time, people deserve to receive the best care in the best possible environment with dignity.
"I have seen first-hand how our funding is already making a real difference to improving facilities for patients and families. This additional funding will deliver further upgrades, relieving pressure on day-to-day spending.
"End-of-life care is crucial to our 10 Year Health Plan and our fundamental shift of moving more care out of hospital and into the community. We will continue to support hospices so they can deliver their vital work.