A hospice charity based in Somerset and Wiltshire has launched an urgent fundraising campaign to address its “critical financial shortfall” despite a recent government announcement of funding for the sector.
In December, health secretary Wes Streeting announced £100m in one-off funding for adult and children’s hospices after the sector raised concerns about the upcoming increase in employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs).
The support was welcomed by the sector, with Hospice UK saying it would ease the financial strain on hospices significantly.
However, Dorothy House Hospice Care has this week launched its Together in Adversity campaign to raise £1.25m by the end of March as it faces “an immediate critical fundraising shortfall which the recent government announcement of a one-off cash injection has not completely addressed”.
Increased running costs
Dorothy House Hospice Care said that its daily running costs have increased from £46,000 to £52,000 over the past three years, with demand for its services expected to rise further.
Alongside the recent NICs rise, the hospice faces minimum wage rises and “stagnant government funding at 20% of total costs”, which it said “has had a major impact on the financial sustainability of the hospice”.
The hospice said is facing a “critical financial shortfall which, without remedy, threatens the specialist end-of-life care it currently provides to patients and families across its 800 square mile patch”.
Last year, the charity raised £370,000 in 36 hours after warning that the NICs rise would cost it £422,000 per year.
Wayne de Leeuw, chief executive of Dorothy House Hospice Care, said: “We urgently need the support of our community and the government to ensure we continue offering the specialist care and support that our patients and their families deserve.
“No one should face death alone and yet this financial gap places huge pressure on our workforce to make difficult decisions about who can receive our care, at a time when we want everyone to have equal access to our specialist support.”
The charity reported that it generates £5.7m a year through retail income from its 27 shops and receives £3.8m funding from government.
It also plans to operate a zipline fundraising event in Bath city centre this year.
