Wes Streeting Visits Saint Francis Hospice during Ward Development Project
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said it was ‘exciting’ to see the significant progress on the upgrades taking place at Saint Francis Hospice to improve the ward and the care environment.
Mr Streeting, Labour MP for Ilford North, met with CEO Grazina Berry, and Project Manager Steve McClure before taking a tour of the works when he visited the hospice on Friday 10th October.
“This has been a really exciting visit for me to Saint Francis,” said Mr Streeting. “We've obviously been here before, but I'm now beginning to see in practice the impact of decisions that we've taken in government and the ambition that you've had here, at the hospice, begin to be realised.”
The Ward Development Project began in September and is due to be completed in March 2026. It has been made possible, partly thanks to £764,393 in capital funding, which is Saint Francis Hospice’s allocation of the £100 million government grant made available to support hospices across England.
Mr Streeting described the newly refurbished sanctuary as a “lovely space for reflection” and praised the works on the ward, saying they highlighted what investment and “thoughtful design” could achieve.
He spent time with the care team to find out more about the Enhanced Hospice at Home service which has been developed to ensure the hospice can continue to provide the best palliative and end of life care while the project is underway and the difference the upgrades will make to people who need hospice care, and their loved ones too.
“There are still people coming here, and you're having to have lots of compassionate, thoughtful, sensitive care and conversations taking place,” said Mr Streeting. “But it has not felt like a building site. Until I walked onto that site, it felt like the good old Saint Francis, that warm welcoming calm environment.”
Wes also acknowledged that while the hospice receives 31% in government funding, it depends on donations to fund its compassionate care and support services, and that more sustainable funding is needed.
“While the capital funding being invested in the way it is that I’ve witnessed today is fantastic and is making a great difference, I know hospices are facing real challenges in terms of ongoing costs,” said Mr Streeting.
“Public funding still constitutes a relatively small part of what many people would consider, especially if they've benefited from a hospice service, a really essential public service.
“We're going to try and correct that over time. While people are reading headlines about record investment for hospices, which is what the grant has provided, that's not a substitute for all the generosity of the public.
“I hope that people continue to give at the same time as I'm doing everything I can to make sure government is paying more of what I would consider to be a fair share of support for hospices.”
The visit concluded with Grazina hosting a roundtable with fellow hospice leaders, who had the opportunity to discuss the funding challenges they face with Mr Streeting.
Grazina added, “We were proud to stand alongside our colleagues from Hospice UK, Together for Short Lives, Haven House Children’s Hospice, Richard House Children’s Hospice and St Joseph’s Hospice.
“The Secretary of State was keen to listen, discussing in detail the major challenges facing the sector.
“Mr Streeting holds the hospice sector in great esteem. We thank him for his time and are committed to continuing the work with him and his team to secure the future of specialist palliative and end-of-life care across the UK. We look forward to welcoming him back to the hospice soon.”
