Saint Francis Hospice receives £191,000 funding boost
Saint Francis Hospice receives £191,000 funding boost from government
People receiving the care of Saint Francis Hospice will benefit from new equipment and improvements thanks to a £191,000 funding boost from the government.
The hospice, which provides compassionate palliative and end-of-life care to people living in Havering, Brentwood, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham and West Essex, will use the funding to replace the recliner chairs and hoists on the ward, buy a new transport van to take people from their home to the hospice to attend appointments and therapies, along with upgrades to staff areas.
Grazina Berry, Chief Executive Officer at Saint Francis Hospice said, “We are very grateful for the additional £191,000 funding which will enable us to improve our care environment so people and their families will have even more comfort.
“The funding will also be used to purchase a new van which is needed to transport people to and from the hospice so they can attend appointments and other services, as part of our holistic palliative care offer.”
In December Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, pledged a £100m funding package for hospices across England and this is the first allocation of £25m which is restricted to use on facility upgrades, refurbishments and IT improvements.
The Ilford North MP visited the hospice and met with Grazina to discuss the challenges the hospice is facing and the need to secure sustainable funding so it could meet the growing demand for its services in the local community.
“While this is wonderful news and it will make a real difference to the people who desperately need our services, it just doesn’t go far enough,” said Grazina.
“We need sustained levels of funding to help us cover our core costs, which are set to increase even further from April this year, as a result of Employers National Insurance hike.
“The funding we receive from the Government remains at around 30%, which means we are reliant more than ever on the generosity of our supporters. Thank you for your kind generosity and all your support."
