sussex hospices campaign

PRESS RELEASE

22 April 2010
 
Sussex Hospices join forces to call for fairer funding

In an unprecedented move, the chief executives of the 8 adult hospices that serve Sussex have jointly called for their funding relationship with the Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to more accurately reflect their costs, and have warned of long-term threats that could be caused to hospice services in the local community unless the relationship is strengthened.

Sussex hospices are currently the most poorly funded hospice group in the UK, receiving only 22% of their core funding from their PCTs compared to the national average of 32%*. This is despite Sussex hospices providing a service to some 2.2 million people. The local NHS providers would struggle to cope without the services that Sussex hospices provide.

In announcing their campaign to coincide with the general and local elections, each hospice chief executive has written to their parliamentary and council candidates/councillors remaining in office to rally support for this joint initiative and to strengthen the working relationship with the local PCTs. It is hoped that this action will build upon collaborative work between the hospices and the PCTs and that this will continue long after the elections are over. 

The PCTs who cover the 8 Sussex hospices are: West Sussex PCT, Brighton and Hove PCT, East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT and Hastings and Rother PCT. 

Sussex Hospices are calling for:

• Appropriate funding for hospices on a sustained basis:

  • 1.      A minimum contribution of 50% in funding of core costs, agreed in partnership with the PCT.

  • 2.      For the recommendation of the House of Common’s Public Accounts Committee to be implemented so that three-year rolling funding agreements are adopted by PCTs.

• Better use of existing NHS funds: redirecting funds from acute care to hospice care would not only provide a better quality of care and a greater choice for patients but also prevent unnecessary hospital admissions.

• A strengthened partnership between hospices and PCTs: improved collaboration between Hospices and local PCTs is the best way to increase the provision and quality of end-of-life care

You can help in this campaign by cutting out or downloading and sending a template letter to your parliamentary and council candidates/councillors remaining on office.  This can easily be done electronically through the Friends of East Sussex Hospices website www.fesh.org.uk

Kathy Gore, Chairman of Friends of East Sussex Hospices, the charity which is spearheading the campaign, said:

“Hospices are heavily dependent on the generosity of thousands of local people who support them both financially and by volunteering their time and skills.

“This joint initiative is designed to gather political and local support for our messages and to raise awareness of the financial savings that are enjoyed by the local PCT through services that are provided by hospices in Sussex.”

*Source: Help the Hospices Analysis of accounts of UK independent voluntary hospices 2005-2008) NB Sussex Hospice average 21.86% based on figures for y/e March 2009 being the last full year for which audited figures are available.
-ENDS-

Notes to editors:

For a copy of the briefing that was send to political stakeholders, details of case studies or to arrange interviews with hospice chief executives please contact Kathy Gore at fesh@framfield.com or telephone 01825 890494 or contact your local hospice CEO listed below.

• This joint initiative has been undertaken by the chief executives of:

  • Hospice in the Weald, Pembury
    John Ashelford – Tel: 01892 820518 John.Ashelford@hospiceintheweald.org.uk

  • St Barnabas Hospice, Worthing
    Hugh Lowson – Tel: 01903 534030 Hugh.Lowson@stbh.org.uk

  • St Catherine’s Hospice, Crawley
    Shaun O’Leary – Tel: 01293 447350 shauno'leary@stch.org.uk

  • St Michael’s Hospice, Hastings
    Celia Pyke-Lees – Tel: 01424 445177 cpykelees@stmichaelshospice.com

  • St Peter & St James Hospice, North Chailey
    Colin Burgess – Tel: 01444 471598 Colin.Burgess@stpeter-stjames.org.uk

  • St Wilfrid’s Hospice, Chichester
    Alison Moorey – Tel: 01243 755802 Alison.moorey@stwh.co.uk

  • St Wilfrid’s Hospice, Eastbourne
    Kara Bishop Tel: 01323 644500 Kara.Bishop@stwhospice.org

  • The Martlets Hospice, Hove
    Caroline Lower – Tel: 01273 273400 caroline@themartletshospice.co.uk
    
    

• Sussex Hospices offer a range of services and expertise to benefit the whole community:

  • Expert and specialist medical and nursing care, including at-home care with support from community palliative care nurses and hospice-at-home services

  • Pain and symptom control
    

  • Rehabilitation and therapies such as physiotherapy and complementary therapies and out-patient support
    

  • Counselling, bereavement care and spiritual support to patients and families
    

  • Advice for clinical staff in other settings such as acute hospitals and care homes
    

  • Specialist palliative care training for local health and social care professionals
    

• In recent years the Government has shown a greater commitment to end-of-life care, publishing the first End-of-Life-Care Strategy in 2008 and pledging an additional £286 million (including a Capital Grant Scheme of £40million) for palliative care during 2009/10 and 2010/11. Disappointingly much of this extra funding has not made its way to hospice care.

• Through their strategy, commissioning and operating plans, SHAs and PCTs in the South East already recognise the advantages of providing patient choice in end-of-life care but do not provide the funding to back this up.

  • The Sussex Hospices are already providing services which support PCTs in achieving their objectives by:

  • Reducing the number of inappropriate deaths in hospitals by means of their community services. This provides support and advice as well as hands-on care for those dying at home and in our specialist in-patient units.

  • Ensuring that everyone experiences dignity at the end of their life and is able to access specialist palliative care services that address their individual needs. This is done both directly through hospice services and indirectly by educating the wider pool of clinicians.

  • Providing a holistic approach which takes into account the needs of carers and families. 

• Hospices are experts at delivering training to professionals involved in all areas of end-of-life care and in multiple settings throughout the community.  We provide professionals with specific skills in the following areas:
  1.      Improving communication
  2.      Assessment and care planning
  3.      Symptom management, maintaining comfort and wellbeing
  4.      Advance care planning
  5.      Overarching values and knowledge
  
  

  • The sharing of such expertise with those working in other care settings throughout the local community saves the NHS money.

• The Department of Health recently announced a £40m capital grant for hospices. While this is welcome, the grant is not part of the local PCT funding arrangements and cannot be used for the running costs of hospices e.g. staff costs, energy costs, laundry bills, cleaning, maintenance, catering, training and education, administration.