Saint Francis Hospice welcomes capital funding - but sustainable hospice funding still urgently need

Saint Francis Hospice is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a further £300,000 in Government capital funding as part of the national £125 million investment made available to hospices across England. 

This latest funding will support the refurbishment of the hospice’s ward, helping create a more comfortable and calming space for people receiving care and their loved ones. 

Grazina Berry, Chief Executive Officer at Saint Francis Hospice, said: “We are very grateful for the additional £300,000 funding which will enable us to provide a homely care environment to individuals receiving care on the ward with even more comfort.” 

While the hospice welcomes this vital investment in its facilities, Saint Francis Hospice continues to advocate for more reliable, long-term funding for the sector, that reflects the true cost of providing specialist palliative and end of life care. 

Saint Francis Hospice calls for reform  

Grazina explained: “Although this capital funding is extremely helpful, it can only be spent on improving our physical environment or our technology. It can’t contribute towards paying the running costs that enable our clinical teams to deliver day-to-day care such as our nurses or running our community and hospice at home services.” 

Saint Francis Hospice delivers 85% of its care in the community, and its skilled and compassionate team plays a crucial role in enabling people to remain in the comfort of their homes with the specialist care they need, whilst supporting the NHS by reducing hospital admissions. 

"The funding we receive from the Government remains at around 30%, which means we still rely heavily on charitable income.” Grazina said. “And we are providing what many would expect to be a core NHS service. Without voluntary donations, Saint Francis Hospice, like all hospices across the country, would not be able to deliver the extensive range of expert care and support services people desperately need and deserve.  

Saint Francis Hospice, like many others, continues to feel the impact of rising operational costs - from energy and medical supplies to trying to keep pace with NHS salaries to retain experienced staff. At the same time, it recognises that many people in their community are facing financial pressures of their own. 

We recognise the financial pressure everyone is facing

“We know people in our community are feeling the strain,” Grazina added. “And we never take their generosity for granted. Our community continues to support the hospice because they see its profound value - therapies, counselling, support for everyone - carers, families, loved ones and space to create memories. But the system should not depend so heavily on public fundraising to deliver essential healthcare.” 

Saint Francis Hospice remains in a financially stable position today. However, the hospice stresses that without meaningful reform to how the sector is funded nationally, future service provision could be affected. 

“We need a fairer and more dependable funding model that recognises hospices as a vital part of the healthcare system - because that is exactly what we are. Each year raising the funds we need to stay open gets harder and harder” Grazina said.  

“We will continue working with partners across Essex, London, our local MPs and Hospice UK to advocate for this change.”