Manx hospice's annual running costs expected to rise by £1m by 2026

The new plan for the hospice on the Isle of Man highlights its aims and the challenges it faces

Annual running costs at the Isle of Man's hospice will rise by £1m to £7.8m by 2026, the organisation has said.

The figures feature in a new three-year strategy for the facility, which provides end of life care and supports patients' families.

The document highlights aims to expand services, such as increasing staff levels, alongside financial challenges.

Chief executive John Knight said demand for care had risen and funds had become "increasingly hard to secure".

'Careful balance'

The strategy covers both Hospice Isle of Man and Rebecca House Children's Hospice and was developed in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders.

It said number of adult deaths at the hospice the organisation played a direct caring role in 2023 stood at 427, a rise of 10 from the previous year.

The document also detailed how the hospice's annual spend of about £6.8m was expected to increase to £7.8m over the next three years.

Mr Knight said: "We live with an ageing population, whilst people are living longer with multiple morbidities, demanding complex care for often longer periods."

The Hospice Isle of Man's budget is predicted to be £7.8 by 2026

Outlining it's future goals, the organisation said it aimed to increase the provision of inpatient beds to 11 in 2024, a number last seen before the coronavirus pandemic.

The facility recently returned to offering respite care and reopened its day unit facilities, both of which had been stopped because of the threat of Covid.

The new strategy outlines plans for Hospice at Home to be expanded to offer a 24-hour respite care service from next year.

It was also hoped an additional team member would be recruited to Rebecca House in 2026, so the service could "consistently respond to the changing needs of families", the document said.

Mr Knight said the plan sets out to strike a "very careful balance between measured service developments, financial sustainability, and a recognition of the changing demographics on the Isle of Man".

But he said growth in the services would be "carefully planned and launched only as funds are secured", which reflected the hospice's "long term commitment to those who have terminal conditions".