Alice House Hospice closes long-term unit amid £755k shortfall

The current Alice House Hospice in Hartlepool opened in 2004

A hospice has closed its long-term care unit amid a £755,000 shortfall in its budget caused by rising costs.

Alice House Hospice in Hartlepool said it hoped the closure would only be temporary but it was needed to "safeguard" the hospice's future.

The unit consists of eight private rooms for people in the last year of their life needing 24-hour care.

The hospice said the unit provided a "vital service" but was operating at an annual loss of £275,000.

Hospice co-chief executive officers Sandra Britten and Nicola Haggan said Alice House faced a £755,000 shortfall for the year ahead due to cost increases while forecasting a £295,000 drop in funding through donations and grants.

The hospice said there were some patients in the unit and staff would work with them and their families to help find suitable accommodation elsewhere.

The hospice chiefs said: "We understand the anxiety and disappointment [the unit closure] will cause for patients and their families, as well as our own staff, all of whom will be fully supported and updated in every way that we can.

"We are exploring ways of re-purposing this space in a way that both supports our community and is financially sustainable.

"The closure of the long-term unit is essential to safeguard the future of the hospice and we would like to assure people that our core services, including the inpatient unit, will remain unaffected."

Alice House Hospice provides care and support to people affected by life limiting illness or the death of a loved one in Hartlepool, Tees Valley and East Durham and costs more than £3.5m a year to run.