Hospices

[Barry Izbak]

NSC knows most things, and wonder if anyone can help me with this.

Why are hospices not fully funded from central taxation ?

Before I write to my MP or the Health minister, does anyone know what the "party line" is?
What official load of bollocks will they use to try and explain this ridiculous anomaly?

I have got a mate in the Martlets at the moment and have regularly done fund raising for them but cannot for the life of me understand why this fantastic place, and all the others, are not fully funded. The Martlets have had to reduce their services this year because of lack of funds.

I don't want to start a debate here about funding nuclear missiles and the foreign aid budget, but genuinely want to know why Hospices are charities and get only about 30% of funding from my taxes.

If I know what the official line is, I can ask the question in such a way that they might actually answer the question, rather than send me a pre-prepared standard letter.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

NSC knows most things, and wonder if anyone can help me with this.

Why are hospices not fully funded from central taxation ?

Before I write to my MP or the Health minister, does anyone know what the "party line" is?
What official load of bollocks will they use to try and explain this ridiculous anomaly?

I have got a mate in the Martlets at the moment and have regularly done fund raising for them but cannot for the life of me understand why this fantastic place, and all the others, are not fully funded. The Martlets have had to reduce their services this year because of lack of funds.

I don't want to start a debate here about funding nuclear missiles and the foreign aid budget, but genuinely want to know why Hospices are charities and get only about 30% of funding from my taxes.

If I know what the official line is, I can ask the question in such a way that they might actually answer the question, rather than send me a pre-prepared standard letter.

I wish they did get 30%, The Chestnut Tree House Children's Hospice gets about 9% funding, adult hospices a little more!

 

[Barry Izbak]

I heard last week on PMQs that Cameron was meeting someone to get the funding for Children's hospices the same as the adult ones. Surely any disrepancy is unjustifiable. And that's before we find out why they are not 100%

 

[KZNSeagull]

So that they do not have to answer to government for what they do?

It is a good question though. When my father was ill recently, as soon as it became apparent that it was terminal, any assistance he and the family got was from St Peter and St James Hospice. The only time the NHS appeared to get involved after that was to write a death certificate. Perhaps there is some historical stigma regarding palliative care?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

First off I certainly don't condone hospices not being fully funded and one of the most emotional days I've ever worked was when I spent a day at Chestnut doing some IT work for them. Quite frankly even being there for a short period makes you feel utterly humble and grateful that you're not in that situation with your own children.

I suspect that the government see hospitals as places for people to die if necessary and so why fund hospices ? Harsh I know but probably true.

 

[sydney]

So that they do not have to answer to government for what they do?

It is a good question though. When my father was ill recently, as soon as it became apparent that it was terminal, any assistance he and the family got was from St Peter and St James Hospice. The only time the NHS appeared to get involved after that was to write a death certificate. Perhaps there is some historical stigma regarding palliative care?

state funded euthanasia....?? that would piss the drug companies right off.

 

[lost in london]

state funded euthanasia....?? that would piss the drug companies right off.

Huh?

Good question from the OP though, what people working at hospices do is simply incredible. I have no idea what the answer is though, is it because people who are dying are dying, and it isn't for the state to make that process less awful? T

 

[BigGully]

Never really considered this issue.

However, having read the few comments maybe it is for the better.

It seems that fund raising ( maybe unfair ) ensures a level of care and facility above whatever the treasury would ever offer.

The perceived unfairness probably encourages us to fund raise and to contribute more than protesting if they were 'nationalised'.

I acknowledge that its a kinda weird science I am advocating here, but most Hospices seem to offer higher standards than those hospitals wholly blanketed by the NHS.

 

[Gazwag]

I believe a lot of hospices have had their donations reduced due to the "Health Lottery". Many people in the past gave their money to local hospice run lotteries with minor prize money available to win, they now chose to try and win a big sum assuming the hospice to whom they use to fund will get a stake in the health lottery. Not only does this lottery take massive fees out I suspect but local hospices see very little unless they want funding for new equipment or extensions to the existing home. Just like charities find with the national lottery it will not fund running expenses.

 

[KZNSeagull]

It begs the question - why do charities exist? I am guessing that one aspect of it is that they retain political independence. Any not for profit organisation wants to concentrate on providing the service that they exist to provide and don't want to spend half their time and money justifying their existence to Whitehall.

But I am guessing now. Have you asked Help the Hospice or someone like that?

 

[beorhthelm]

its an interesting question. i suspect the answer is in them starting out as charities, so the real question is why where they needed, why doesnt the role get fulfilled by the hospitals? which kinda implies that it isnt, when i'm not sure thats the case. why is St Johns a charity and not funded by NHS, why is Oxfam not funded from the overseas aid budget etc?

 

[The Oldman]

They did indeed start as Charities way back in the 11th century but the modern Hospice movement in the UK owes much to (Dame) Cicely Saunders who was a nurse . She became concerned at the way the NHS dealt with the dying. She was told to become a Doctor if she wanted to influence so she did in 1957. There was opposition from some parts of the medical profession to her views on palliative and terminal care and the concept of a special place where people went to die.In the 60's she opened the first modern Hospice in England but it was entirely funded by donations. As her work became more widely known other Hospices were opened all funded by donations. The NHS started to make grants available to supplement Hospice funds and some Health Authorities made direct payments to their local hospice. I believe that most Hospices do receive some funding from the NHS Some Hospice supporters do not want the NHS to take over the full funding as it is feared it would destroy the special nature of the movement which relies not only on financial donations from the public but a vast volunteer network of helpers.

Brighton has a long history of high quality care for the dying, provided by charitable / philanthropic organisations. In 1935 the Tarner Home was established which, through a generous endowment, provided care to the seriously ill who could not afford private nursing home fees. On a similar basis Coppercliff (which later became Coppercliff Hospice) came into existence in 1967, the same year that St Christopher’s Hospice opened under the leadership of Dame Cicely Saunders. Later on this merged with the Martlets Hospice.

 

[The Oldman]

Been racking my brains to name the Brighton Consultant who did so much to improve cancer care and found Coppercliff. Have now remembered it was Dr Jan de Winter, a quite remarkable doctor who was the first Consultant at RSCH's radiotherapy department.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

I believe a lot of hospices have had their donations reduced due to the "Health Lottery". Many people in the past gave their money to local hospice run lotteries with minor prize money available to win, they now chose to try and win a big sum assuming the hospice to whom they use to fund will get a stake in the health lottery. Not only does this lottery take massive fees out I suspect but local hospices see very little unless they want funding for new equipment or extensions to the existing home. Just like charities find with the national lottery it will not fund running expenses.

Alas not CTH has always been funded around 9-10% from the government, with the rest coming from the generous people of Sussex.