Local hospice declares £1.5 million cost reductions

After several years of high inflation and the rising cost of living, the local hospice, which cares for over 2,500 people every year, has identified that without action, it cannot keep up with its current costs.

As a care provider, over 77 per cent of the hospice’s current costs are staffing. In total, and after formal consultation with its staff teams, St Catherine’s expects to lose in excess of 40 roles from all its staff including nurses.

Proposed cuts to community services

Giles Tomsett, Chief Executive at St Catherine’s said, “Since May we’ve made significant reductions to our support teams, reduced the hours of our community telephone advice line, and changed the way our therapy team operates.

From Monday 9 September, we’ll be consulting with our community service teams about proposed cuts to community facing services and how best we can deliver care in people’s homes – a service we deliver alongside NHS GPs, district nursing teams and other government funded services. It is with great sadness that I can confirm that our proposals will include a reduction of staff including nursing.

It’s heartbreaking to have to reduce our team of highly skilled, specialist clinicians – some of whom have delivered expert support for many years and who all care so deeply about supporting families living with a terminal or life-limiting diagnosis and people coming towards the end of life.”

Hospice ward care

Whilst changes to St Catherine’s community services will be made over the Autumn, the hospice will not be reducing its ward inpatient care and will continue to operate 12 beds at its Pease Pottage hospice. Although the hospice has capacity for 24 beds it is currently unable to increase the number of beds available due to funding.

The UK hospice sector’s finances are the worst they have been for 20 years

Hospice UK – the national champion for UK hospices – has highlighted that the hospice sector as a whole is facing a deficit of around £60 million this financial year. And in July a Hospice UK survey found that the financial stability of UK hospices has reached a critical point, with at least a fifth having already cut services or planning to do so.

Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK, said: “We extend our sympathy and solidarity with the excellent team at St Catherine’s, and our compassion to everyone directly affected by these cuts to care services and associated job losses.

It makes me both sad and angry to see a well-regarded and well-supported local hospice forced to take these decisions, because they’re unable to keep up with rising costs.

The most regrettable aspect of these proposed service cuts is that this is precisely the sort of community activity that the new Government has committed to increasing.

St Catherine’s and other hospices like them wish to help take some pressure off NHS hospitals, and have the skills and ability to do so. Community services are fundamental to the future of the health and social care system. If they’re cut, those patients go back to NHS services, only increasing the pressure they are already under.”

“We need and value the ongoing support of all our supporters, donors and volunteers”

Giles added, “Whilst everyone at St Catherine’s is saddened by this situation, we’re enormously indebted and encouraged by the continuing loyalty of so many supporters who help fund our work daily. We have also valued the help of so many local people to bring this matter to the attention of our local MPs who will be better able to advocate for change in the way hospices are funded in the future given the priority all parties place on improving community care and support for an aging society. We continue to need and value the ongoing support of all our supporters, donors and volunteers.”

If you would like to make a donation to support St Catherine’s please visit www.stch.org.uk/donate or call 01293 447361 - thank you.