Nurse redundancies as hospice sector faces funding crisis
Posted 17 July 2024 - 16:00
Marie Curie nurse describes devastating impact of underfunding in end of life care as hospices say costs have outstripped NHS funding or their own fundraising
Picture: Birmingham Hospice
Scores of nurses working in hospices in England face redundancy as the sector descends into financial crisis.
Staff in Birmingham, Hampshire and Devon could lose their jobs as charities cut beds and community services due to insufficient government funding and fundraising challenges.
Hospice sector’s finances in worst state for 20 years
Hospice UK, which represents more than 200 hospices, said the sector’s finances are in their worst state for 20 years. Managers are now having to make ‘heartbreaking’ decisions to reduce staffing.
Birmingham Hospice is cutting 45 full-time roles or 14% of its workforce, and one third of its inpatient beds. The figure includes 10.5 nursing roles.
The hospice reports that energy, food and drugs costs have rocketed over the past few years, while funding from the NHS has not kept pace.
‘Too many people are dying in avoidable pain. Dying people and their families deserve better’
Emma May Ward, clinical nurse specialist, Marie Curie
Birmingham Hospice chief executive Simon Fuller said: ‘The prospect of having to make highly skilled specialist end of life clinicians and support staff redundant is totally unpalatable. There is a growing need for palliative and end of life care and the NHS is unable to meet the huge demands on its beds.
‘Reducing hospice services is bad for the people of Birmingham, the healthcare system, and those who will be affected by the proposed redundancies.’
And Devon-based Hospiscare is reducing its community service and placing 15 nurses at risk of redundancy. This is after already having cut its inpatient service by one third in April, to deal with a £2.5 million deficit.
Rowans Hospice in Hampshire has also announced that financial pressures are forcing it to cut 20 roles – including those of nurses.
Nurses witness daily impact of underfunded end of life care
Marie Curie clinical nurse specialist Emma May Ward said: ‘Every day, my team and I see the devastating impact of overloaded and underfunded end of life care services in hospices and in people’s homes. Increasingly we are finding families at crisis point, distressed and not knowing where to turn, often forced to call 999 or go to A&E when they don’t need or want to.
‘Too many people are falling through the cracks, and too many people are dying in avoidable pain. We can do better. Dying people and their families deserve better.’
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘The government is going to shift the focus of healthcare out of the hospital and into the community. We recognise the care system, including hospices, will play a vital role in doing this.’
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