Saint Francis Hospice Receives Government Grant to Enhance Care
Thousands of people receiving specialist palliative care at Saint Francis Hospice will benefit from essential upgrades and new equipment thanks to a £573,393 capital grant from the Government.
The funding, which begins in August, will be used for a ward development project and will help us ensure our care environment continues to meet the needs of everyone we care for, remains safe and of outstanding quality for people in our community.
The capital funding is part of a £100 million government pledge made by Health Secretary Wes Streeting to support hospices across England.
This latest cash injection follows an earlier £191,000 boost this year which was also designated for upgrading facilities, refurbishments, and digital infrastructure at the hospice.
This was used to invest in furniture and equipment to enhance our care. We invested in a digital ‘Rainbow Table’ which has a variety of sensory apps, games and music, helping us to communicate with people who have assisted communication needs. We’ve found it to be particularly helpful for individuals with dementia, or non-verbal people in our care.
Chloe Williams, Occupational Therapist: “It has been an amazing piece of equipment. It has supported people that are unable to communicate allowing them to tell us what their needs are. It also helps with activities for games, films, apps for mindfulness. It allows individuals to play interactive games with their visitors. All in all, an amazing piece of equipment that has brought a lot of benefits to people on the Ward.”
Announcing the additional funding, Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock said, “Hospices play a vital role in our society by providing invaluable care and support when people need it most.
“At this most difficult time, people deserve to receive the best care in the best possible environment with dignity.
“I have seen first-hand how our funding is already making a real difference to improving facilities for patients and families. This additional funding will deliver further upgrades, relieving pressure on day-to-day spending.
“End-of-life care is crucial to our 10 Year Health Plan and our fundamental shift of moving more care out of hospital and into the community. We will continue to support hospices so they can deliver their vital work.”
Wes Streeting, MP for Ilford North, visited the hospice in December 2024 where he met with Grazina Berry, the charity’s Chief Executive Officer, to discuss the challenges it faced to meet the growing demand for its specialist services.
Grazina highlighted the need for sustainable funding as the hospice, which has been providing its compassionate palliative and end of life care to communities across Havering, Brentwood, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham, and West Essex, for over 41 years, relies on donations and charitable giving to fund 70% of its costs.
At the Health and Social Committee meeting in Parliament on Monday 14th July, Wes Streeting responded to questions from Pauline Hamilton, MP for Birmingham Erdington, on the issue of hospice funding, acknowledging that hospice care was an essential part of the health and social care system and should be properly funded.
Wes Streeting said, “I’ve never been comfortable with the extent to which hospices are reliant on the generosity of the public through donations to fund something that I think, in today’s day and age, is an integral part of the health and social care system.”
