Ian Sollom Launches Campaign to Stop Huge Funding Cuts to Arthur Rank Hospice
Ian Sollom MP has joined forces with his two Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrat colleagues to launch a campaign against the planned funding cuts to the Arthur Rank Hospice, which provides specialist end-of-life care to people in his constituency.
The hospice is facing a funding cut of £829,000, which could lead to it closing nine out its 23 beds - denying dying patients and their families the dignity of palliative care in a comfortable setting and increasing the pressure on hospital beds at Addenbrookes.
The funding crisis is primarily due to Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) being unable to sustain its previous funding contribution due to pressure on its budgets allocated by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System. The financial crisis for the hospice is made even more severe by the government’s increase in employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs). This rise has forced the hospice to find an additional £225,000 a year, further threatening patient care.
Ian has launched a petition with fellow MPs Charlotte Cane and Pippa Heylings, and written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care urging him 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.
- 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.
Ian Sollom said: “I am utterly dismayed to learn of this cut to funding and we are working hard to support the amazing team at Arthur Rank Hospice.
“The hospice provides wonderful care to families, enabling people to die with dignity whilst receiving professional, caring support for themselves and their loved ones. Everyone deserves access to excellent care right until the very end of their lives.
“Our hospices, not our overstretched hospitals, should be properly supported to provide this. It’s time for the government to see through its ambition for proper community-based care before it’s too late. Please sign the petition and help us save this crucial care that is so desperately needed.”