The stark warning from Oakhaven Hospice in Lymington comes as Hospice UK – the body that represents 200 charities – warned of a funding crisis across Britain.
Andrew Ryde, CEO at Oakhaven, spoke out following a BBC report saying his organisation could be about to make job cuts.
He said there are no current plans to cut jobs. Mr Ryde said: “Like many other hospices in the UK, the cost-of-living crisis is having a detrimental effect on Oakhaven Hospice’s ability to generate sufficient income to cover day-to-day running costs.
“Times are very challenging for Oakhaven and the sector, but at present we are not planning job cuts.
“Something has to change, and we hope very much that the new government will find a more sustainable way to fund the independent hospice sector in the future.”
It costs £8m every year to fund Oakhaven’s services that support people with palliative care, with just 11 per cent of the hospice’s funding covered by the government.
Mr Ryde added: “Oakhaven Hospice currently supports around 360 patients at any time, free of charge.
“As well as the ten beds in the hospice’s Inpatient Unit, many patients are cared for in their own homes by Oakhaven’s Community Nursing Team throughout the New Forest, Totton and Waterside, along with regular visits to Oakhaven’s Day Hospice.
“We are hugely grateful to all our supporters, fundraisers, volunteers and donors, without whose unwavering generosity we would not be able to continue providing expert palliative and end-of-life care and support for patients and families in our community.”
