Write to your MP
As we enter the new Parliament, hospices are in crisis. With hundreds of new MPs and a new government in place, it’s critical for the UK’s hospices that the scale of the challenge is understood.
Email your local MP now. You can email the local MP for your local area. We’ve written a message for you. All you need to do is choose the area you live in, it will take you to your email and then just press send. This simple action could make all the difference to the future of St. Michael’s Hospice, and others like us across England.
If you are having trouble emailing please see a copy of the email template below:
Dear Local MP,
I am writing to introduce St. Michael’s Hospice (North Hampshire), which provides vital palliative and end of life care services in your constituency and draw your attention to the national crisis in hospice funding.
St. Michael’s Hospice is an independent charity based in Basingstoke, supporting people across North Hampshire who have a life-limiting illness, are facing the end-of-life or experiencing bereavement. Their dedicated team of nurses, doctors, and therapists deliver free, high quality, compassionate end-of-life care and support to patients, their families and carers. With only 16% of funds coming from statutory funding, the rest is raised thanks to the generosity and kindness of our community.
Rising costs over several years have meant hospices across the UK, including St, Michael’s, are facing growing financial pressure. These external factors beyond our control mean we expect our costs this year to be almost £600,000 more than our income. Statutory funding has not kept pace with rising costs and changing need, and generous local communities are unable to meet the shortfall.
Hospice sector finances are the worst they have been for 20 years and many hospices are being forced to cut services, close inpatient beds and make vital staff redundant.
This is happening when hospice services are needed more than ever. Hospices are vital to keeping people out of hospital and reducing pressure on the NHS. The number of people in the UK needing palliative care is also expected to increase by at least 25% by 2048.
I would like to ask you to meet Iain Cameron, CEO at St. Michael’s Hospice (info@stmichaelshospice.org.uk) to discuss the challenges and how people’s experiences at end of life in Basingstoke can be improved with the right support. I’d also be hugely grateful if you could reach out to Hospice UK (policy@hospiceuk.org.), the national champion for hospices, to discuss how the new government can protect hospice services and their value to the NHS.
Many thanks for your support with this important matter,