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Hospice Relieved at Government Spending Announcement

 

June 18, 2010

Staff and patients at Birmingham St Mary’s have breathed a huge sigh of relief following the Government announcement that crucial funding to refurbish the Day Hospice will not fall victim to public spending cuts. 

Thursday’s reconfirmation that the Department of Health’s £40 million Hospices Capital Grants Programme will go ahead met with joy at the Selly Park-based hospice, which cares for people with life-limiting illnesses across Birmingham and Sandwell. 

Under the previous Labour government, Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice was allocated £395,000 under the programme towards a scheme to refurbish its 20-place Day Hospice. The total cost of the project stands at around £724,000.  

A capital appeal for the remainder of the funds will be launched soon with a view to completing the work by next March. 

The work is long overdue and doctors and nurses at the Hospice know what the new look facility will mean to its users. Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice Chief Executive Tina Swani was delighted by the Government’s announcement. 

She said: “At a time of economic doom and gloom and unprecedented fear for the future of vital public services, the news that we are still going to receive the Department of Health funding to refurbish our Day Hospice is a real ray of light. 

“Patients, relatives, doctors and nurses at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice all know how important the Day Hospice is to communities across the region. We cannot overstate how much it benefits families in Birmingham and Sandwell who are going through difficult times with terminal illness, so we are extremely relieved that we can now move forward with this project.” 

The Day Hospice is a key element of Birmingham St Mary’s services, as it allows patients living with illnesses such as cancer, MS and Motor Neurone Disease to spend longer at home with their loved ones.  

The centre, which gives carers the chance of a weekly break, is open four days a week and offers therapies ranging from physio and reflexology to art. Many of these services are delivered by a combination of clinical staff and skilled volunteers, ensuring both a high quality service and value for money. 

Since its launch in 1979, Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice has cared for tens of thousands of people with life-limiting illnesses, such as cancer, motor neurone disease and MS.  

With around 52 percent of the Hospice’s budget reliant on public goodwill, community fundraising is crucial to ensuring its highly specialised services can continue to be offered to the people of Birmingham and Sandwell. 

In addition to a 25-bed Inpatient Unit, Birmingham St Mary’s boasts a 20-place Day Hospice and provides community care to people who wish to stay in their own homes.  

The Hospice also supports relatives with bereavement preparation, physiotherapy tuition and counselling in addition to many other services.  

Annual running costs stand at £6.3 million, with around £1 million being raised in the Hospice’s shops and £2.7 million via community fundraising events. The remainder comes from the NHS. 

Birmingham St Mary’s nurses, often referred to by patients and relatives as ‘angels’, are renowned for going that extra mile to ensure people with terminal illnesses enjoy the best possible quality of life. 

To register for Starlight Stroll, or volunteer as a marshal please contact Charlotte Sudbury on 0121 4721191 or go to: www.bsmh.org.uk/starlightstroll to download a form.