Hospice cuts patient services due to £2m shortfall

LOROS Hospice opened on 2 September 1985

A hospice in Leicestershire is to cut patient services in a bid to bridge a £2m income shortfall.

LOROS Hospice said it would be cutting inpatient ward beds, day therapy and other services for patients and families.

The hospice said the decision came after a "perfect storm" of increased running costs, a reduction of income and a rise in demand from an ageing population.

But it hopes the changes will "secure its long-term future".

Inpatient beds will be reduced to 20 - down from 31 two years ago, the hospice said - while day therapy services will be reduced by a quarter.

There will be 50% cuts to physio, occupational therapy, social work, chaplaincy and complementary therapies, and LOROS is to close its volunteer home visiting service.

The BBC understands 69 jobs had been put at risk, but the final number of job losses cannot be reported as some staff have had hours cut, and others have filled roles within the NHS at the hospice.

'Incredibly tough'

Chief executive Camilla Barrow said the hospice would work to ensure "a smooth transition" for patients, despite the changes being "hugely challenging".

She added if you needed care, "LOROS is still here for you".

She said: "Like other hospices, we are struggling with an incredibly tough financial situation.

"No hospice wants to be doing less when the need is so great.

"This is not what our patients deserve and it's not what our community deserves."

According to LOROS, it costs £932 per hour to run the charity, with about 20% of its funding coming from the NHS.

This means it needs to fundraise £9m each year to continue running.

LOROS said it had "extensive" summer fundraising planned, including its 10-week Stomp Round Leicester public art trail from 14 July.

Serge Pizzorno, lead singer of Kasabian, has designed an elephant for LOROS Hospice's Stomp Round Leicester art trail

Toby Porter, CEO of national charity Hospice UK, said the announcement was "heartbreaking" and that its thoughts were with LOROS staff and volunteers, and the patients and families they support.

He said: "The government has just emphasised the importance of hospices in their 10-year plan for the NHS and the role they can play in shifting care from hospitals into the community.

"But they can only do this if they are funded properly, so no hospice is forced to diminish their services when they could and should be bringing their care to more people."

The BBC has contacted the Department of Health and Social Care for comment.

In December, the government announced that hospices in England would receive £100m over two years to improve care.

But some hospices have said they cannot use the money for staff salaries, for which they need "urgent help".