Local charity Dorothy House Hospice Care is set to receive £298,000 in funding from the Department of Health and Social Care to help address rising costs.
Wayne de Leeuw, CEO of Dorothy House | Photo © Dorothy House Hospice Care
The money is part of a national £100 million government hospice grant.
Years of rising costs, the NHS Pay Award, equivalent to an extra £400,000 per year, and the recent 40% increase in National Insurance, which will cost Dorothy House an extra £422,000 annually, have all taken their toll on the charity’s ability to invest in future infrastructure.
With only 20% of its funding coming from the government, Dorothy House has to fundraise every £4 in £5 it costs to run the hospice each year.
The short-term investment of nearly £300,000 cannot be used for funding staff, patient and family care, nor increase the staff required to expand their clinical and community services to meet the projected 25% increase in end-of-life care needed by 2045.
Dorothy House Hospice Care is continuing to face a financial shortfall which, without remedy, threatens the specialist end-of-life care it currently provides to patients and families across its 800 square mile patch.
Wayne de Leeuw, Chief Executive, said: “We urgently need the support of our community and the government to ensure we continue offering the specialist care and support that our patients and their families deserve.
“No one should face death alone and yet this financial gap places huge pressure on our workforce to make difficult decisions about who can receive our care, at a time when we want everyone to have equal access to our specialist support.”
“Last year Dorothy House cared for more than 3000 patients and 1000 loved ones completely free of charge.
“We have done this in the face of enormous funding adversity because it is the right thing to do, but now, more than ever, we need help to ensure people can die with dignity.”
The charity is appealing to anyone who may one day need its services, to stand with Dorothy House in the face of adversity, to help protect vital services now and into the future.
Supporters can attend an event, donate to and visit the shops, run their own fundraiser or simply donate via the website.
Over the past three years, the cost of running the charity’s hospice has risen from £46,000/day to £52,000/day, based on 2022 to 2024 figures.
