Denny hospice calls for funding consistency as Scottish facilities face £16 million shortfall

Data from Hospice UK has revealed hospices in Scotland are budgeting for an unprecedented collective deficit of £16 million over the next year as the cost of paying

their dedicated staff a fair wage increases and statutory funding fails to keep up.

The organisation states spiralling staffing costs due to NHS pay increases plus rising running costs are stretching hospice finances to the brink, with many being forced

to consider cutting vital services and draw on limited reserves to meet the shortfall.

In Scotland hospices play an integral part in the health and care system, supporting people to stay at home and out of hospital, but remain largely funded by charity, with statutory funding from the government primarily allocated and distributed through local Health and Social Care Partnerships.

However, with the current cost of living crisis, local communities may not be able to give as generously as they have in the past.

Strathcarron Hospice is currently exploring new avenues of funding, including the possibility of receiving cash from Forth Valley’s Health and Social Care Partnership.

Irene McKie, Strathcarron Hospice CEO, said: “We would welcome the introduction of a funding framework that is consistent across all Scottish Hospices. There is no

consistency of funding in terms of the percentage of their overall expenditure, or the range of different services recognised for this funding, or even the length of the contracts.

"The majority of the expenditure of hospices comes from the generosity of the public, even although hospices are providing statutory services that have to be fully

funded by the NHS in the health board areas where there are no hospices.

"We are currently in negotiations with Health and Social Care Partnerships in Forth Valley in respect of our Hospice at Home service and we are hoping for clarity this

month on whether they will fund this service.

"This service has been running since 2014 and was funded for five years by the Big Lottery and since 2019, we have been seeking funding from the Health and Social

Care Partnerships.”

Helen Malo, policy and advocacy manager for Scotland at Hospice UK, said: “Hospices care for some of the most vulnerable people in society, but many are now

worrying about the future of their services.

"Hospices need urgent support to ensure they can continue delivering high-quality care for people at the end of life – without worrying about how to pay their hard-

working staff a fair wage.

“To expect hospices to match this through further fundraising, at a time when their local communities may be struggling themselves is increasingly untenable. Scottish Government must commit additional funding for hospices in its upcoming budget to help address the huge £16 million deficit facing the sector and ensure hospice

funding is sustainable in the long term, so hospices can continue to support the people who need them most.”