NHS funding boost for our Hospice

We are to receive an extra £400,000 investment from the NHS in Wakefield District.

We have raised over a number of years, that our NHS grant agreement was based on out-dated calculations. It recognised neither the rising costs of delivering specialist palliative care or the extent of their contribution to the health and care system.
 
 
During a recent reset of the Wakefield District Health and Care Partnership’s financial plan,we have been awarded an additional £200,000 from April 2024. This will be followed in April 2025 with a further £200,000.
 
Samantha Calvert, Director of Finance at the Hospice, said: “This uplift of £400,000 over the next two years, recognises the significant underfunding we have been operating under. It is because of the generous community and their fundraising efforts that we have been able to keep providing specialist palliative care for nearly 35 years.”
 
Yvette Cooper MP, who has championed the Hospice locally and nationally, said: “This is really important and welcome news. We asked the Wakefield Partnership to increase funding for The Prince of Wales Hospice because it does an incredible job supporting local families in their hour of need but has been underfunded for too long. I am really glad they have listened and recognised the importance of hospice care here in Pontefract."
 
This financial boost comes on the back of a smaller increase to the Hospice’s NHS grant earlier this year, which enabled us to open a fourteenth bedroom on our incare ward. This recognised just how vital hospice beds are to the health and care system and the increasing demand for these specialist services.
 
Jo Webster, Accountable Officer at Wakefield Place, said: “This additional investment reflects the considerable contribution the Hospice makes to the local health and care system. While there is more work to do to strengthen commissioning of palliative and end of life care services across the district, we are pleased that the Hospice can continue to provide specialist care and support to our communities with improved financial security”.