Hospice to receive government funding boost

A hospice in West Sussex is to receive a funding boost from the government, but has warned of a "funding gap" due to rising costs in delivering specialist services.

St Wilfrid's Hospice in Bosham is to receive £141,670, which will be used to pay for capital costs such as infrastructure, it said.

Lois Howell, chief executive of the hospice, welcomed the funding, but said its running costs were more than £26,000 per day.

Minister for Care, Stephen Kinnock, said it was the "largest investment in a generation".

The funding is part of a scheme which will see hospices across England receive the first £25m of a one-off £100m government grant.

Ms Howell said: "We are extremely grateful to receive our share of this grant, but we are still left with a funding gap due to the ever-increasing costs of running our specialist services.

"One cause of those rising costs is the recent increase in Employer National Insurance contributions, which means that the hospice will have to find an extra £240,000 a year, on top of the £9m we need to run our services."

She added that demand for palliative and end-of-life care was increasing due the ageing and growing population.

Of the £26,000 per day running costs, 16% comes from government funding, Ms Howell added.

Mr Kinnock said the funding boost would ensure hospices were able to deliver care in better, modernised facilities.

"From upgrading patient rooms to improving gardens and outdoor spaces, this funding will make a real difference to people at the end of their lives," he said.

An additional £75m will be available from April as part of the scheme, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson added.