Bury Hospice Leaders Lobby Government for Sector Funding Reform

Bury Hospice CEO, Stuart Richardson, and Director of Clinical Services, Sarah Machin, headed to Westminster on Tuesday, 18th March, to lobby Greater Manchester (GM) MPs for sector funding reform, alongside fellow regional hospice leaders.

The *GM Hospices Provider Collaborative is a partnership that is urging MPs to sign a joint letter to Minister of State for Health and Social Care, calling for the government’s new 10-year health plan to include commitments to reforming the hospice funding model, and improving palliative and end-of-life care across the region.

Hospice leaders come together

More than 10,000 patients, and their loved ones, are cared for by hospices in GM each year. There is a vital need for extra funding, as total operational costs have increased by a third since 2020.

In the UK, around 4% of government funding is allocated to hospices, which means there is a heavy reliance on local communities raising funds to cover costs - approximately two thirds of total funding in GM.

With demands on hospices services set to increase, the parliamentary event was a key opportunity to focus on futureproofing regional hospice provision and sustainability.

MP James Frith

Stuart, said: “There was a recognition from government of what we do as hospices, and our wider contributions to the community”.

“There was a real understanding that these contributions have to continue in ways that aren’t solely reliant on charitable income coming into our organisations”.

“This is a positive start. There is a lot of work to do because we need to turn that now into pounds, pence, and a long-term agreement; but there was a commitment that palliative and end-of-life care will definitely be a part of the new 10-year plan, which the NHS is currently developing.”

Hospice UK is going to play a key role in feeding into the national plan, advocating for much-needed funding so that more hospice beds open, and more bereavement services expand into local communities.

^*The hospices that attended Westminster were Bury Hospice, Bolton Hospice, Derian House Children’s Hospice, Dr Kershaw’s Hospice, Springhill Hospice, St Ann’s Hospice, Wigan & Leigh Hospice , and Willow Wood Hospice.