Hospice raises cash to save two beds amid struggle

A hospice has raised enough money to save two inpatient beds from closure for a further six months amid ongoing financial strain.

In October, Ashgate Hospice in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, announced plans to cut jobs and reduce services in a bid to save more than £2.6m.

A campaign was launched in November to raise £244,000 to help keep open two of nine "specialist inpatient beds" which were earmarked for closure.

The hospice said its target was met within two weeks and would keep the beds open for a further six months.

Donations have also helped to secure four full-time nurse posts and three-full time healthcare assistant posts on fixed-term contracts, which the hospice said would help to care for 25 more patients.

The hospice currently operates 15 of its 21 inpatient beds.

However, the charity said it would still have to close seven beds while 33 jobs remained at risk of redundancy.

Jack Wood, director of income generation at the hospice, said: "This support means more patients can continue to receive compassionate, specialist care at the end of their lives.

"But the challenges we face are ongoing, and we'd like to keep these two beds open for even longer."

The charity added every £40,000 raised would keep both beds open for another month.

Ashgate has long cited what it called "insufficient NHS support" for its financial pressures, alongside rising running costs.

The charity previously claimed contributions from the local NHS had remained "unfairly low", despite its costs increasing.

However, the NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) countered that the level of funding given to the hospice was fair "when compared with benchmarks for the hospice sector nationally".

A spokesperson added its "core contract value with Ashgate Hospice has increased in value by 55% since 2022-23".

The ICB told the BBC it had offered to fund an independent review of its current arrangement with the hospice, but that it was declined by the charity.

A spokesperson for the ICB said: "We remain keen to undertake a financial and service review with Ashgate, with full transparency around the service costs and services provided with NHS funding.

"This will be necessary if sustainable solutions are to be found."

On Monday, Ashgate will welcome the chief financial officer of the ICB to discuss ongoing funding for the site.

A spokesperson for the hospice said: "We're hopeful the meeting will help us work out how to move forward together, and we hope to agree on steps towards a sustainable funding solution, ensuring people in North Derbyshire facing the end of life - and the people important to them - continue to receive specialist end-of-life care."

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