Amid a national funding crisis in the hospice care sector, Willen Hospice is urging the local community to pledge their support and join the fight for fairer funding. With the launch of its ‘Care at Home? Who Cares?’ campaign, the charity seeks to raise awareness of its essential, community-based service, Willen at Home — a service that relies entirely on charitable donations to continue providing care.
The Willen at Home team make it possible for many local people with a life-limiting illness to stay in their own home and continue to live well until they die, for however long that may be.
Although the hospice is well known for its lakeside In-Patient Unit, the majority of care happens in the community. In fact, 86% of Willen Hospice patients are cared for in the place where they live, by Willen at Home nurses. Both the hospice’s own data and national research consistently show that the majority of people prefer to spend their final days at home, surrounded by the comfort of familiar surroundings.
The need for fairer funding
Willen Hospice is currently one of the most poorly funded hospices in the country with only 13.8% of running costs covered by NHS funding. This is less than half of the average amount provided to hospices nationally. Despite being the only service of its kind in Milton Keynes, Willen at Home receives no NHS funding. It costs £1.4m each year to run and is entirely funded by charitable donations. Yet, in neighbouring counties, community services like Willen at Home are entirely paid for by the NHS.
The community relies on the Willen at Home service and so the hospice feels it deserves a better deal. The population of Milton Keynes continues to grow, placing increasing demand on the hospice’s services. On top of this, stretched local NHS services, such as GP surgeries, are increasingly relying on the Willen at Home team for support. To ensure the continuity of its vital Willen at Home service, the charity is calling on corporate stakeholders and community leaders to lend their support.
Without a fairer level of NHS funding and an increase in fundraising, in the future the hospice may have to take the heartbreaking decision to cutback core services like Willen at Home.
The Care at Home? Who Cares? campaign aims to gather 10,000 signatures from community members to remind the local NHS Integrated Care Board of their responsibilities to try to secure fairer funding for our community.
The charity is inviting local businesses and corporate partners to champion the cause by encouraging employee involvement, hosting fundraising events, or directly supporting the campaign.
For assistance in promoting this initiative within your business, contact corporate@willen-hospice.org.uk
Find out more about showing your support by visiting our website.
