Read our letter to our local MPs on hospice funding

I hope this email finds you are well. I am writing to highlight the Backbench Business Debate taking place on Monday 15^th April on hospice funding and ask that you attend to advocate for Rotherham Hospice.

As I’m sure you may be aware, Hospices provide care and support to 300,000 people every year and are an integral part of our health and social care system. However, the current state of hospice funding means that many of us are struggling to keep up with inflation and rising costs.  

At Rotherham Hospice, we provide the essential specialist palliative and end of life care services for the people of Rotherham and surrounding areas. We not only have our 14-bedroom in-patient unit at the hospice itself, but we also provide Hospice at Home services for patients at home, bereavement, and counselling support for loved ones and specialist support for children and young people. In all, our team are making 30,000+ contacts with patients and loved ones per year through visits, clinics, 121 sessions or over the phone – all in addition to us caring for hundreds of patients within the hospice itself. As our local population is aging, demand on our services is constantly increasing and to provide patients with the correct and right care and support they need, and keep them away from unnecessary hospital stays, we do need funding to be addressed for our essential services.  

Peter Gibson MP, one of the Co-Chairs of the APPG on Hospice and End of Life Care, has secured a main chamber Backbench Business Committee debate in parliament on hospice funding, which will be held on the Monday 15th April.  

This debate presents a chance to platform some of the key funding challenges facing hospices across the UK and advocate for more sustainable funding of our services.  

At Rotherham Hospice, it is not just a matter of funding to enable us to provide a safe and excellent service for our patients through clinical staffing and services. Our hospice is now 30 years old and needs essential refurbishment and works to meet the changing needs of our patients. All comes at significant costs, and whilst we actively fundraise to meet the deficit after ICB funding, this is also increasingly difficult due to current socio-economic challenges in our region.   

As the local MP for Rotherham, I am writing to ask if you would consider attending this debate to share the experiences of Rotherham Hospice and advocate for more sustainable funding for hospices now and in the future.  

Hospice UK have provided a briefing on the national funding for hospices, which can be accessed here, for further information. 

I would be very grateful if you could spare some time to attend this debate and support us in raising awareness of this very important, and growing, issue. 

Thank you for your continued support.   

Mat Cottle-Shaw