Lichfield MP calls for greater support for hospice sector following St Giles visit
Hospice care has been underfunded for decades and more must be done to make the sector sustainable, according to Lichfield MP Dave Robertson.
Mr Robertson, MP for Lichfield, Burntwood and the villages, visited St Giles Hospice in Whittington this week to discuss the financial pressures it is currently facing.
Last week, St Giles announced it would focus on its very core specialist palliative care services, reducing its inpatient capacity from 23 to 15 beds and making 21 staff redundant - 15 clinical and six non-clinical roles - amid a deepening national hospice funding crisis.
St Giles is based just outside of the area Mr Robertson represents but serves many of his constituents. The hospice has an annual budget of £10m with just 18 per cent of this funded by the Government.
While recent changes have reduced the annual deficit, the hospice now faces new financial pressures from increased employer national insurance contributions announced in the budget and potential NHS wage increases, which would add hundreds of thousands to its salary costs.
Speaking after his visit to the hospice, Mr Robertson said: "I'd like to say thank you to St Giles Hospice for the invitation to see the vital work it does for Lichfield, Burntwood and surrounding areas.
"No one who visits can fail to see the compassion and care every volunteer and member of staff has and provides. For decades, hospices and the work they do have been undervalued and underfunded.
"It's high time this changed and I am eager to be part of the campaign to make hospice funding sustainable in the 21st century,
"Last week, Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, confirmed that a decision on support for hospices will be taken before Christmas.” he added.
Elinor Eustace, Interim CEO of St Giles Hospice, welcomed the MP's support: "We are grateful for Mr Robertson's commitment to championing sustainable funding for hospice care. The visit provided an important opportunity to discuss our current financial challenges and the difficult decisions we've had to make to safeguard the future of our services. Having recently had to make significant changes, including reducing our bed capacity and implementing staff redundancies, immediate support would help protect our progress and manage upcoming challenges, including increased National Insurance costs estimated at around £200,000.”
She added: “We look forward to continuing our conversations with Dave on how the Government can help support sustainable funding for hospice care. The hospice sector as a whole is facing significant financial challenges nationally, with hospices across the UK facing a collective £77 million funding deficit. We continue to work alongside Hospice UK and other hospices to advocate for sustainable funding solutions."
