As a long established Cornwall-based healthcare charity, Cornwall Hospice Care has been providing support to end of life patients, their carers, families and friends for nearly 45 years. This is thanks to the ongoing and very generous support of the Cornish community.
In the light of recent national news reports about the issues surrounding hospice funding, Paul Brinsley, Chief Executive of Cornwall Hospice Care says:
“Providing free end of life care to the community of Cornwall is a privilege, but it’s a precarious one. Just 9.5% of our income is supported by government money through a grant from the NHS Integrated Care Board. This is in stark contrast to the 30+% received by hospice charities elsewhere in the country and which is the figure being reported at present.
Despite this huge monetary challenge, we’re continuing to keep all 20 of our hospice beds at Mount Edgcumbe Hospice in St Austell and St Julia’s Hospice in Hayle, open. We’re also maintaining our vital bereavement services and our Lymphoedema clinics that saw a 28% increase in appointments in the last financial year. We don’t charge for any of the support we give.
I would like to pay tribute to the community of Cornwall who helped us provide the very first hospice in the county back in 1980 and who have stood by us ever since then. The economic challenges we now face following the recent budget, are massive but if we stick together we can continue to make every day matter in the county we call home.
Just remember every patient cared for at the end of their life and every grieving person we support is helped thanks to someone in Cornwall doing something special like holding a coffee morning, taking part in a darts competition, cycling or running.”
