Report by Local Democracy Reporter – Jon Cooper
A cash-strapped Derbyshire hospice has welcomed the intervention of Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock after the hospice was forced to announce plans to slash beds from up to 21 to six with feared job losses.
Chesterfield-based Ashgate Hospice’s Chief Executive Barbara-Anne Walker met with senior representatives from the NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (DDICB) and officials from the Department of Health and Social Care, and Derbyshire MPs, at Westminster, on February 4, to discuss hospice care in North Derbyshire.
Ms Walker said: “This was a hugely helpful and appreciated intervention by the Minister.
“I am confident that we now have a positive way forward for the benefit of patients in North Derbyshire and we look forward to welcoming DDICB to the hospice on Monday as the next step.”
During the meeting, the Minister, MP Mr Kinnock, stressed that high quality palliative and end of life care is a priority for the Government.
He made clear his expectation that the DDICB and Ashgate must work in a collaborative and strategic way and welcomed the mutual commitment to ensure Ashgate continued to provide outstanding care to the residents of North Derbyshire.
Mr Kinnock also insisted on regular progress updates over the coming weeks from the negotiations to the Department of Health and Social Care.
Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins secured the meeting following a Westminster debate on the ongoing challenges around funding and commissioning arrangements, and to support constructive discussions between Ashgate Hospice and DDICB.
Mr Perkins said: “We were pleased to be able to bring about this meeting, and we are delighted that it now looks like there is a sensible way forward.
“The Minister was clear on what he wanted to happen following the meeting – and myself and the other Derbyshire MPs will continue to work with DDICB and Ashgate Hospice to make sure that happens and to benefit end of life patients in Derbyshire.”
Ms Walker has previously said that Government plans to support palliative and end-of-care services are welcome but they are expected be too late to prevent its planned cutbacks.
Ashgate Hospice, on Ashgate Rd, at Old Brampton, in Chesterfield, which is dependent on funding and donations provides respite and care for seriously ill patients and those needing end-of-life care as well as support for patients’ families and friends.
But the charity-run hospice announced in October that it is being forced to make £2.6m of savings due to a lack of funding from the local NHS with plans to reduce inpatient beds, make staff cuts that could see jobs losses, and to introduce a reduction in care and support services.
Mr Kinnock previously made a clear and firm commitment at the Hospice UK conference about plans for palliative care and end of life care modern service framework to improve access, quality and sustainability in the sector.
But the plans are not expected to be published until Spring and without the promise of any interim funding for adult hospices from the Government or from the NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board Ashgate Hospice is still facing cutbacks.
Ashgate was rated outstanding by the Care Quality Commission last year with 100per cent ratings in four out of five categories, giving it one of the highest scores in the country, and it provides specialist palliative and end of life care to around 2,600 patients and for the people important to them annually.
But despite the outstanding quality of its care, months of negotiations and the support of MPs across Derbyshire, Ashgate was unsuccessful in its bid to get the local NHS to increase its recent funding settlement.
Independent NE Derbyshire District Councillors, including Cllr Ross Shipman, wrote to Amanda Sullivan, Chief Executive of NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board, raising concerns about what they claimed is ‘continued underfunding from the NHS’ while calling for a fairer funding model and a review of funding arrangements.
Rising costs, increasing demand, and arguments that the local NHS only pays for just 50per cent of the care it commissions from Ashgate have led to an unsustainable financial situation with the charity’s reserves becoming critically low.
Ms Walker previously said Mr Kinnock clearly recognises what the hospice has been saying for many months but the Government has to step in as there is a postcode lottery affecting end of life care.
She claimed that in South Derbyshire specialist end of life care is fully funded by the NHS where it is provided at University Hospitals Derby and Burton but in North Derbyshire, where that care is provided by Ashgate Hospice, just 50per of its funding comes from the local NHS.
Amanda Sullivan, Chief Executive of NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board, has said the DDICB greatly values the work of the hospice sector and it is sorry to learn from Ashgate Hospice about its proposals to cut services.
She added that the NHS DDICB believes the level of funding it provides to Ashgate Hospice is fair when compared with benchmarks for the hospice sector nationally and she claims it is also in line with NHS England guidance.
Ms Sullivan said its core contract value with Ashgate Hospice has increased in value by 55per cent since the 2022/23 financial year and the request for a multi-million pound increase in funding during the current financial year is difficult at a time when the whole health system is under extreme financial pressure and when no additional services would be provided.
However, Ms Sullivan has said that the NHS DDICB will work with Ashgate Hospice and the rest of the health and care system to mitigate any proposals.
MPs attending the recent meeting included Mr Perkins, Bolsover’s Natalie Fleet, NE Derbyshire’s Louise Sandher-Jones and Derbyshire Dales’ John Whitby.
Also joining the meeting were Sue Bottomley and Lee McGill from the Department of Health and Social Care, DDICB Chief Executive Amanda Sullivan and Executive Director of Outcomes Dave Briggs and DDICB Chief Finance Officer Bill Shields.
The hospice launched the Act Now for Ashgate campaign urging the public to contact the NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board to call for fair and sustainable funding for end-of-life care in North Derbyshire.
Members of the public can contact the DDICB to ask for fair funding for Ashgate Hospice via email at ddicb.complaints@nhs.net or by post to: Chief Executive Officer, NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board, The Council House, First Floor, Corporation Street, Derby DE1 2FS.
Ashgate has also urged the local community to support its Save a Precious Bed Appeal to help save jobs. Those interested in contributing can visit https://ashgatehospice.org.uk/precious-bed/ for details.
Find out more about the proposed changes visit https://ashgatehospice.org.uk/proposed-changes/ as well as for details on the Act Now for Ashgate campaign.
