Lack of funds forces hospice to close service

A lack of money has forced a hospice to close down a service it runs for patients with a long-term chronic health condition.

The Lymphoedema Service, run by the Mary Ann Evans Hospice, in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, shut on Friday "with great sadness", a spokesperson said.

Lymphoedema is a condition which causing swelling in the body's tissues, usually in the arms and legs, the NHS says.

In a statement on Facebook, the hospice's spokesperson said they could no longer run it due to limits on their funds.

The service launched in January 2009 and was expanded in 2011, due to a growing gap in care available for patients in Nuneaton, Bedworth and north Warwickshire, they added.

The decision to close it was made towards the end of last year.

"This is a sad day for Mary Ann Evans Hospice, but it also offers a moment to reflect on the invaluable care delivered to patients across Warwickshire North and beyond since the service's inception," the spokesperson added.

They thanked and praised its staff on the service and said they remained committed to working with the NHS to "advocate for the re-establishment of a locally based Lymphoedema service in the future".

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