Bolton Hospice warns of service cuts unless the Government intervenes to help

Bolton Hospice says it could have to cut its services and beds by 40 per cent unless the Government steps in to help.

Figures have also shown that vital public donations have fallen over recent months.

Bolton Hospice relies on a patchwork of public income and private income and in particular on the contributions of those residents who donate, participate in its lotteries or shop at one of its stores.

Carol Hodgkiss has ovarian cancer and hopes to spend her final days at Bolton Hospice. Credit: ITV Granada

Carol Hodgkiss was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and given two years to live. She hopes when the time comes, she'll end her days at Bolton Hospice.

Carol said: "It might be different if I had a partner or husband but I know I will be looked after here and your relatives can come visit anyway.

"So this is where I hope to end my days peacefully.

"You can just come and be yourself. You don't have to explain yourself. It's just a joyous place really."

Mark Settle has been a visitor to the hospice for many years. Credit: ITV Granada

Mark Settle has Parkinson's and has been visiting the hospice for six years.

Mark said: "It takes my mind off what I've got and I meet loads of new people, it is so relaxing.

"You can ask for anything you want here and if they've not got it, they will just go for it. It's just like family, I love it."

One of the town's local MP's Yasmin Quereshi is appealing for financial support to help it through the cost of living crisis.

The MP for Bolton South East also revealed that the hospice is running at a loss of £1.2 million over the course of a debate at Westminster Hall due to a combination of increasing costs and increasing demands.

Labour MP Yasmin Quereshi is campaigning to try and help the hospice. Credit: ITV Granada

In a speech Ms Qureshi called on the Conservative Government to support the sector through the cost of living crisis.

She said: "The least we can do for those with a terminal diagnosis is to ensure they die with dignity surrounded by loved ones.

"The hospices are there to alleviate emotional, physical and psychological suffering.

"Their work ensures a dying person's final days are made as peaceful as possible."

This is a typical room that a patient would stay in at the hospice. Credit: ITV Granada

Bolton Hospice runs a 16-beds in-patient service and other services such as Hospice at Home and a Wellbeing Hub.

Ms Qureshi warned it could cut its number of beds by 40 per cent and slash a range of services without investment.

Addressing Minister for Social Care, Helen Whateley, she said: "The minister must acknowledge if hospices have to close down it will place pressure on the NHS and our hospitals. 

"Because of the cost of living crisis the community is not able to give as much money.

"I ask the minister to make an exception in the case of hospices and to grant them the money."

  • Dr Leigh Vallance, Chief Executive of Bolton Hospice spoke to Granada Reports

Dr Leigh Vallance, Chief Executive of Bolton Hospice said: "If something doesn't happen at the end of this calendar year then we are going to have to start to look at redundancy process and have to look at cutting services.

"So time is of the essence and we need the government and we need the Department of Health to understand the impact on all of the hospices across the country.

"In particular, the hospices in Greater Manchester that there is a disaster looming. We haven't got a cost of living crisis, we have a cost of dying well crisis."

Chief Executive of Willow Wood Hospice, Ashton-Under-Lyne, Karen Coulston says they can identify with the problems faced by Bolton Hospice. She spoke to Granada Reports presenters Mike Hall and Victoria Grimes in the studio.

A statement from the Department of Health and Social Care.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “NHS England will again be making £25 million available in the next financial year to support the children's hospice sector through grant funding.

“We have made over £400 million available to hospices since 2020 to secure and increase additional NHS capacity and enable hospital discharge, ensuring hospices can continue to deliver care to those who need it.

“Most hospices are independent, charitable organisations who remain free to set their own salary rates at their chosen level.”

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