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'Rising costs mean difficult decisions' - hospices

Bea Swallow
BBC News, Somerset
BBC Dorothy House's base in Winsley, as seen from the back showing the garden. It is a large three-storey house with extensions and a glass conservatory.BBC
Dorothy House Hospice Care costs around £19 million each year to run

Hospice charities have warned "difficult decisions" could be on the horizon unless changes are made to "restrictive" government funding.

On Wednesday, the government announced the release of £25 million for hospices across England, but this is reserved for facility upgrades and refurbishments only.

Dorothy House Hospice Care, covering Bath and North East Somerset, is set to receive £298,000 of this funding and must spend it by the end of March.

Facing a "significant rise" in demand and costs, hospices across the country have been rallying for a more sustainable, long-term funding solution for the sector.

Getty Images Stephen Kinnock wearing a white collared shirt, a black suit and a black and blue striped tie. He had a bald head and is clean shaven. He is looking towards the left of the camera with a thoughtful expression. There are trees in the background, out of focus.Getty Images
Stephen Kinnock said the cash injection in hospices was the "largest investment in a generation"

Stephen Kinnock, the minister for care, said the money would help "transform hospice facilities" across England.

"Hospices provide invaluable care and support when people need it most and this funding boost will ensure they are able to continue delivering exceptional care in better, modernised facilities," he said.

However, the cash is reserved for purchasing new medical equipment, improving gardens, refurbishing buildings, upgrading technology and modernising facilities.

Penny Agent, chief operating officer for Dorothy House, said unless it received support with staffing costs, it would have no choice but to cut back on services.

Penny Agent wearing a red coat with wooden toggles and a grey scarf. She has medium length strawberry blonde hair and is smiling at the camera. It is a bright sunny day, and she is standing on the grassy field in front of the Bath Crescent, which you can see in the background out of focus.
Penny Agent says unless sustainable income can be achieved, the charity will have to cut back on staff and services

"We are really appreciative of this recent funding, however it is ringfenced, and we can only really use it on estate or capital use," Ms Agent said.

"It's all well and good having a very pretty estate, but if you can't actually pay the staff who provide the care to our patients, it all crumbles."

It currently costs Dorothy House £19 million per year to provide its services. Just 20% of this funding comes from government, with donations providing the rest.

"The funding we receive has not kept pace with the increase in costs," Ms Agent explained.

"Unless we get additional and appropriate funding, we're going to have to make some really difficult decisions around how we deliver our services."

St Peter's Hospice Susan Hamilton wearing a blue and black patterned dress and a blue lanyard. She is leaning against a wall in a hospice building, with medical supplies dotted around. She has short black hair and is smiling at the camera with her hands folded.St Peter's Hospice
Susan Hamilton, CEO of St Peter's Hospice, says charities are desperate for a long-term solution

Susan Hamilton, CEO of St Peter's Hospice based in Bristol, said the charity supported around 3,000 patients per year, but that number was rapidly rising.

"We welcome these ongoing discussions that the sector is having with government to achieve that sustainable solution," she said.

"But this is only money for this year, the question is, what happens after that?"

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