Hartlepool's Alice House Hospice chiefs assure community core services are unaffected by impending closure of long-term care unit amid £755,000 budget shortfall

Alice House Hospice announced this week it is to close its eight-bed long-term care unit as it faces an overall budget shortfall of £755,000 for the coming year.

The news led to fears on social media that the hospice itself could close with one kind supporter starting a crowdfunding appeal to help “save” the hospice.

But bosses have stressed the decision was made in order to safeguard their core services, including the hospice’s inpatient unit.

In a joint statement, Alice House co-chief executive officers Sandra Britten and Nicola Haggan said: “The closure of the long-term unit is essential to safeguard the future of the hospice and we would like to assure people that our core services, including the inpatient unit, will remain unaffected.”

Budget meetings identified a shortfall of £755,000 for the coming year as the hospice struggles under the cost of living crisis and increased operating costs.

Factors include a rise in the minimum wage, significant increases to utility bills, supplier and maintenance fees and clinical consumables.

The hospice is forecasting spending an extra £380,000 in the next financial year.

Meanwhile, income generated by donations, the hospice lottery and general fundraising support is predicted to be down by £295,000.

The hospice chiefs added: “Following emergency planning meetings, we are working to reduce this deficit to a level that is manageable, in order to secure the future of the hospice.”

The Continuing Healthcare (CHC) beds on the long-term care unit – described as a vital service – are running at a loss of £275,000 a year.

They provide 24-hour nursing care to palliative patients with CHC in their last year of life and the unit consists of eight private en-suite rooms.

Efforts to try to find extra funding for the beds have been unsuccessful.

Ms Britten and Ms Haggan added: “This is not an outcome we ever wanted and we have explored all known avenues to try and save this service.

“We understand the anxiety and disappointment that this will cause for patients and their families, as well as our own staff, all of whom will be fully supported and updated in every way that we can.

"We are exploring ways of re-purposing this space in a way that both supports our community and is financially sustainable.”

They thanked all of the hospice’s supporters for helping them continue to care for people, adding: “The closure of the long-term unit is essential to safeguard the future of the hospice and we would like to assure people that our core services, including the Inpatient Unit, will remain unaffected.”

A date for the unit’s closure has not been finalised and the hospice is supporting patients and families to find suitable alternative accommodation.

Writing in today’s Mail, meanwhile, Hartlepool MP Jill Mortimer says she intends to arrange an urgent meeting with local healthcare provider bosses to explore options to try to save the long-term care unit.

She said: “I have visited the unit and know how vital this service is for Hartlepool families."