North Yorkshire hospice facing "very difficult" financial situation
St Catherine's has opened a new restaurant as a way of generating income
We're hearing how a North Yorkshire hospice is facing a 1 million pound black hole..
St Catherine's say staff costs are up 11% but their public funding is only going up by 0.6%.
Margaret Middlebrook is the Chair of Trustees:
"I think people have a perception that hospices are funded like hospitals and that it’s all paid for out of public funds. The reality is that only about 30% of our funds come through that means so 70% of what we need to provide our services is raised through our communities."
"Staff costs up by 11% but our public funding is only going up by 0.6% so instantly you’ve got a serious issue that we behind, we are not even standing still in terms of where we need to be.
"The reality is that everything is going up exactly the same as for every single one of us at home."
"We're putting in some solar panels and electric vehicle charging points that we will be opening up to the community at a reasonable rate as that's a way of generating some income."
"It is stressful and what we would really appreciate is if people could be vocal in calling for a change in the way hospices are funded and for us to get more support through NHS funding. Speaking to your local MP, to make sure they are aware of the issues."
What do the Government say?
A government spokesperson said: "While the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided via GPs, hospitals, and community health services, we recognise the incredibly valuable role the charity sector plays in providing hospice care and supporting loved ones.
“The government has provided £60m in additional funding, including to some hospices, to deliver one-off payments to over 27,000 eligible staff employed by non-NHS organisations.”