A Response from our CEO
A message from our CEO, Graham Gardiner, addressing the challenges highlighted in the recent Herald article on the urgent need for increased support within the hospice sector:
As the CEO of Ardgowan Hospice, I stand alongside my colleagues in the Scottish Hospices Leadership Group in a united call to the Scottish Government for sustainable funding. Hospices across Scotland, including Ardgowan, provide essential care and support to individuals and families at critical times in their lives. Yet, despite the value of our services, the funding needed to maintain and expand our care continues to decline in real terms.
The NHS in Scotland recently received a significant increase in funding from Westminster, and we believe that Scottish hospices deserve a fair share of that investment. Over the past decade, the contribution from NHS Scotland to hospices has decreased substantially in real terms. At Ardgowan Hospice, only around 32 percent of our services are currently funded by the NHS. This year, we received no inflationary uplift in our contract, which leaves us struggling to bridge the gap between rising costs and stagnant funding.
To make matters more challenging, pay awards for NHS staff have been set at 5.5 percent for nurses and over 10 percent for consultants. While we value and support these well-deserved pay increases, Ardgowan receives no additional funding to help cover these costs, which will amount to over £280,000 this year alone. This is a substantial financial burden on our organisation, one that could eventually compromise the level of care we are able to provide.
At present, Ardgowan Hospice has no plans to reduce the services we offer, thanks largely to the dedication and generosity of the Inverclyde community. Our supporters fundraise tirelessly, and we are deeply grateful for their commitment. From community events to individual donations, every contribution is a testament to the compassion and solidarity that defines Inverclyde. We also extend our thanks to the Greenock Telegraph for its in-depth coverage of this issue, which has helped bring to light the urgent need for sustainable funding.
However, as essential as community support is, it cannot shoulder the entire weight of hospice funding. Without increased and dependable support from the Scottish Government, the current funding model for hospices in Scotland is unsustainable in the medium to long term. We risk jeopardising the level of care our patients and their families need and deserve if this situation does not change.
Our ask to the Scottish Government is straightforward: please recognise the indispensable role that hospices play in the healthcare system and provide a fair share of the recent NHS funding increase. It is time to establish a sustainable model that ensures the long-term future of hospice care in Scotland.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support us. Together, we can make sure that every individual in Inverclyde receives the compassionate care they deserve at Ardgowan Hospice, both now and in the years to come.
Read the report from the Herald here: https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24721095.hospice-ceos-warn-sector-struggling-enormously/