Hospice to cut beds and staff to save £1.7m

The hospice said rising costs and increasing demands for care meant it faced a "financial crisis"

A hospice is planning to reduce inpatient beds, cut staffing numbers and scale back its community and support services in a bid to make £1.7m of savings.

The Kirkwood, in Huddersfield, provides end-of-life care to about 2,000 patients each year but a spokesperson said it faced the "worst financial crisis in its almost 40-year history".

Michael Crowther, chief executive at the hospice, said it was an "incredibly challenging time" due to increasing demand and the rising cost of staffing and bills.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the government had "recently announced the largest investment in hospices in a generation," including a £100m fund.

Under the proposals, four of the site's 16 inpatient beds will be removed and about 33 roles will be cut from the workforce of 254 staff.

Large increases in the price of medicines, equipment, energy and food have had an impact on the organisation's finances, a spokesperson said.

Staff salaries make up a large proportion of the hospice's £11m annual costs but rises in the national living wage and the upcoming National Insurance increase for employers will also push up bills, they added.

Mr Crowther said: "Our ability to offer care for the people of Kirklees is being tested like never before.

"We are devastated to have to make this announcement, but like so many other hospices, we are facing a financial crisis that puts at risk the very services we have fought so hard to build and maintain."

He said the financial pressures meant the hospice would support 800 fewer patients each year.

David Crozier said his wife was receiving "the best care" at the hospice

David Crozier's wife Tracey Ling, 44, has terminal cancer and has been receiving care at The Kirkwood.

Mr Crozier, 45, praised the support the centre had provided since she was diagnosed three years ago.

"Tracey is the love of my life," he said.

"I just want her to have the best care and within this setting she absolutely does have the best care. They treat Tracey with a lot of dignity and a lot of respect."

Mr Crowther said he understood how difficult it was for the patients and their families to hear that the hospice would need to reduce its services.

A quarter of the hospice's funding comes from the NHS, with donations from the public helping to pay for the majority of its services.

Financial pressures mean the hospice may support 800 fewer patients each year

Anna Fearnley has been working as a nurse at the hospice for 18 years and said she was "heartbroken" by the cuts.

"I never thought in a million years that this would happen," she said.

"It's terrifying, we're all scared."

Mr Crowther said the hospice had "explored every possible way to avoid getting to this position," including asking the government and local health services for more funding and trying to find new sources of income.

"Unfortunately, the scale of the funding crisis now means we have to take some really difficult decisions to ensure The Kirkwood survives and is here for those in need for the next 40 years and beyond," he said.

Michael Crowther, chief executive at the hospice, said it was an "incredibly challenging time"

Outpatient Rachel Copley received care at The Kirkwood when the pain caused by radiotherapy was out of control.

She said it was "incredibly concerning" that the hospice was looking at cuts in order to save money.

"Kirkwood offers the gold standard in terms of care and anything that waters that down would be really, really sad," she said.

"Everything they do is essential."

Ms Copley said she felt the government needed to "step up" and ensure the hospice got the funding it needed.

A DHSC spokesperson said: "We recently announced the largest investment in hospices in a generation.

"This £100m fund will improve facilities and allow hospices to focus their attention and wider resources on providing the best care to patients."

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Rachel Copley praised the hospice staff for the care they provided