A hospice leader says chronic underfunding and the Coronavirus will see them lose around £1.2m this year.
In an open letter, Steve Parry, chief executive of Wrexham-based Nightingale House Hospice, said:
“Despite the amazing support we have received from the public since the COVID-19 pandemic began, our hospice will not be able to continue delivering first-class patient services unless there is a fundamental change to the way we are funded.
“As a much-loved facility in the heart of Wrexham, we have never sat back and waited for handouts, that is not the way Nightingale House operates.
“Since the onset of Coronavirus in the UK – with its resulting lockdown and social distancing measures – our traditional fundraising avenues have been decimated, and every effort has been made to seek alternatives and generate fresh income streams.
“The continued generosity of the public and our best endeavours will not be enough to stop the hospice losing £1.2million this year, a large portion of that due to the closure of our 11 charity shops and two cafes.
“It has also been necessary to cancel all fundraising events from March until December at the earliest.
“Our charity shops have started to reopen, and social distancing measures are in place, but it will be some time before we generate enough income to match previous years.
“The cafes are scheduled to do the same in early August, but reduced seating capacity will lead to a subsequent drop in profits.”
Nightingale House has successfully overcome obstacles in the past but the severe financial pressure it is currently experiencing as a consequence of the pandemic provides it with the “greatest challenge in our history”.
“When COVID-19 struck the UK, initial negotiations between our umbrella body Hospice UK and Westminster secured £200million for palliative care facilities, with £6.3m of that amount to be specifically committed to independent charitable hospices in Wales in order to enable the continued delivery of patient services until previous income streams could be restored,” added Mr Parry.
“We were awarded £200,000 for the month of April and were expecting to receive the same for May and June to help us through this crisis – a total of £600,000 over three months.
“Since that first award, not a penny has been received by Nightingale House Hospice, and communication has broken down. We have heard nothing.
“At a time when all sectors of our community are feeling extreme pressure, we ask the Welsh Government to recognise this and support us by releasing the additional funding we were promised at a time when we need it most.
“We need parity with the rest of the UK if we are to continue to provide the best patient care to our community. Equality is vital, but most importantly in the coming weeks there must be discussions and assurances provided on how this essential sector can be supported through this crisis and preserved for the future.”
