Save precious palliative care beds at our local Arthur Rank Hospice
Cambridgeshire’s three Liberal Democrat MPs, Pippa Heylings, Charlotte Cane and Ian Sollom are calling on the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to immediately step in to save precious palliative care beds at our local Arthur Rank Hospice.
Sign our petition below
The hospice is facing a funding deficit of £829,000, primarily due to the withdrawal of a long-standing funding contribution from Cambridge University Hospitals.
This cut could force the hospice to close nine of its 23 beds - a 40% reduction in capacity. This dramatic loss of service will mean that over 200 people a year could be denied the option of dying with dignity, receiving compassionate, specialist palliative care in the community until the very end of their lives.
The consequences of this funding cut are severe:
- Denial of dignified end-of-life care: Dying patients would lose the option of living well to the very end with hospice staff easing their physical and emotional pain in our local hospice in the community.
- Increased pressure on Addenbrooke's: This move is short-sighted and would mean that overstretched Addenbrooke's hospital would have fewer beds too for patients with treatable conditions. It goes against the government's own 10-year Health Plan to shift care into the community.
- Exacerbate financial strain driven by government’s NI jobs tax: The hospice's financial crisis is worsened by the government's increase in employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs), which is costing the hospice an additional £225,000 a year and further threatens patient care.
We ask that the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care immediately step in to:
- Restore the funding deficit to ensure all 23 beds at the Arthur Rank Hospice remain open and serving people at the most difficult time of their lives.
- Provide long-term, sustainable funding through the ICB for the hospice's specialist palliative care services.
- Properly roll out the move from hospital to community care with hospices and GPs at its heart: ensure the new NHS 10 Year Plan supports the critical role hospices play in delivering the government’s own policy of providing community-based care and alleviating pressure on NHS hospitals.
Everyone deserves access to excellent care right until the very end of their lives. We must not let a funding failure deny dying patients and their families the dignity and support they deserve.
Sign this petition now to save the Arthur Rank Hospice beds and protect end-of-life care in Cambridgeshire.
Save precious palliative care beds at our local Arthur Rank Hospice
Please sign our petition below to show your support for our campaign to save palliative care beds at Arthur Rank Hospices in our region