Hospice facing £1m shortfall in 'critical situation'

Roger, right, is "eternally grateful" to the Garden House Hospice for rehabilitation after a hospital stay

A hospice said it was in a "critical situation" after rising costs and declining donations led to the closure of four beds and other service cuts.

Garden House Hospice Care in north Hertfordshire has made cuts of £1m this year and is facing a shortfall of £1.17m in the next financial year.

"End of life care and palliative care is on an exponential rise – we don't want money for nothing, but for that growing demand," said CEO Lisa Hunt, who wants more funding from the NHS.

The NHS's Hertfordshire and West Essex care board (ICB) said: "Hospices play a vital role in our health and care system and the ICB works closely with them to ensure the right services are in place for our ageing population."

The hospice carried out 2,580 home visits in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire over the past year, as well as supporting patients in its centre at Letchworth Garden City.

Three years ago, it increased its beds from eight to 12, but recently had to close four of these "directly because of lack of funding", said Ms Hunt.

She said "demand is growing" at the same time as donations are declining, and added: "We have waiting lists, and we know every day someone waits is a day too many."

In a statement online, the hospice said: "People with life-limiting conditions deserve timely, compassionate care in the place of their choice, and we remain deeply concerned for those unable to access this support."

Lisa Hunt said the hospice "can't take another year of finishing on a deficit"

The hospice has a 30/70 funding model, with 30% of its budget usually funded by the NHS and the rest made up from fundraising and donations.

"Our community has always sustained us, we have faith in our community," said Ms Hunt.

"We're having to go out shamelessly again to ask them with a hard ask, a very real ask, to sustain us once again."

Garden House has launched a 10-year strategy and hopes to shift to a 70% NHS funding model.

"There is an NHS crisis - but I want the NHS to realise hospices are part of the solution," said Ms Hunt.

"My greatest concern is hospices should be growing, not shrinking. The patients of the future are impacted."

The hospice opened in 1990 and provides support in people's homes as well as at its centre

A spokesperson for the Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB said: "We know that hospices face great financial pressures and need clarity on their funding in order to plan their valuable work.

"We recognise that hospices are also reliant on charitable donations and that cost of living pressures mean donation levels have fallen.

"We have committed to maintaining this year's core hospice funding levels, which will be enhanced by additional funding to help cover rising staffing costs, once we know our overall ICB budgets."

The Department of Health and Social Care was contacted for comment.