An end-of-life care charity is proposing to make 17 per cent of its workforce redundant as it attempts to reduce a deficit of £800,000.
Nottinghamshire Hospice is set to make the move as the effects of the hospice funding crisis develops across the country.
Last year, research from the membership body Hospice UK showed hospice charities faced an estimated £77m deficit.
Nottinghamshire Hospice said that in tackling its financial issues it had taken a strategic decision to protect core care, namely its Hospice In Your Home service.
This service provides end-of-life care for patients and their families and means nine out of 10 of the charity’s patients are able to die in their own home.
“However, other staffing areas of the organisation will be impacted to protect this vital service,” the charity said.
“The current proposals impact 17 members of staff, around 17 per cent of the total workforce.”
The charity said it was grateful for its “incredibly generous” supporters but acknowledged they were also feeling the effects of the cost-of-living crisis.
“The hospice does receive some NHS income but have seen this fall in real terms in recent years,” it said.
Nottinghamshire Hospice recorded an income of £3.8m in the year to the end of March 2024 but spent £4.2m over the same period, latest accounts show.
Rachel Hucknall, chief executive of Nottinghamshire Hospice, said: “For our staff who work tirelessly to ensure Nottinghamshire Hospice runs smoothly behind the scenes, this is a challenging time, and we are doing everything we can to support them through this process.
“This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but it is one that has the long-term sustainability of Nottinghamshire Hospice at its heart.
“We are hugely grateful for the tremendous support we receive from the local community.”
Hucknall said the UK’s current health and social care system model does not work for hospices.
“As a sector we are proud to support the NHS, and want to do more,” Hucknall said.
“We will continue to work with Hospice UK nationally to lobby for a more sustainable model of long-term hospice funding.”