Hospice charity ‘on the brink of closure’

A CHARITY says it may have to stop caring for terminally ill patients in the Henley area because it is losing money following the coronavirus outbreak.

Sue Ryder, which provides outpatient nursing at home and a telephone support line from its palliative care “hub” at Joyce Grove in Nettlebed, has launched an emergency appeal in order to keep itself afloat.

It says it is struggling because it has been forced to close its 450 shops nationwide, including the branch in Duke Street, Henley, and cancel fundraising events.

The charity, whose Nettlebed centre also offers day services such as support groups, activities and alternative therapies, only receives about a third of the funding it requires from statutory sources.

The rest has dried up since the Government imposed restrictions on people’s movements and ordered the closure of “non-essential” shops and services in a bid to contain the virus.

Sue Ryder says it now faces a funding gap of £12 million by July and that it is only a matter of months before it has to close all its services and inpatient hospices, including the Duchess of Kent facility in Reading.

This is the nearest to the Henley area since the six-bed inpatient unit at Nettlebed closed last month.

The charity has called on the Government to provide extra funding.

Chief executive Heidi Travis said: “The country will lose its hospices at a time when they are needed most. This is a plea and no less as we cannot wait any longer.

“Our doctors and nurses are working night and day to provide end of life care to more people now, and in the coming weeks, than ever before.

“We are a critical frontline support service in the fight against coronavirus yet we are on the brink of closure.

“We are all facing something we have never faced before and we are asking the public to give whatever you can afford to help us to help those who need it most.”

In a letter to this week’s Henley Standard, Sylvia Thomas, who is a nurse at the Nettlebed hub, said: “We are facing a huge challenge in the next few weeks and, for the very first time, we find ourselves in the position where we might not be able to afford to continue providing end of life care.

“We are so very proud of the work we do, the expert care we give and the vital support we provide to the NHS, thanks to our generous supporters.

“Today, we find ourselves needed more than ever before and it is devastating to think we might not be able to continue. I cannot imagine what our patients would do without us, which is why I am asking for your help.

“If we can raise enough money to help us get through the next few weeks we stand a chance. It will make all the difference.”

Henley MP John Howell said: “The issues facing the charity sector have been raised with me by many organisations, including Sue Ryder’s centre at Nettlebed.

“I have, in turn, raised this with the Government and that is now being looked at. Nothing has been decided yet, so all options remain open.

“In the meantime, we can all play our part to help keep this valuable service going by donating generously to the Sue Ryder appeal.”

Sue Ryder is planning to move out of Joyce Grove and sell it, saying it is expensive and impractical to operate from premises not built for the purpose. It originally promised to set up another inpatient facility alongside the day and outpatient services, which will continue in a new location.

However, it changed its mind in January, saying demand for beds had dropped so a replacement wouldn’t be financially viable. It says surveys prove most people would now rather die at home while the outpatient hub, which it launched in April 2018, is growing in popularity.

The hospice had 12 beds but it halved this a year ago, saying occupancy had declined to between 50 and 60 per cent and sometimes 40 per cent. The figure continued going down after that, which prompted the rethink.

The news sparked outcry among staff, volunteers and the families of patients who said their loved ones would have struggled in their final days without a bed. They said people expressing a wish to die at home often changed their minds when faced with the reality.

The charity, which has previously applied for planning permission to convert the Grade II listed building into flats, is yet to find a new home.

Meanwhile, Oxfordshire’s NHS clinical commissioning group says it is looking into providing new hospice beds at existing clinics or hospitals in the Henley area.

The Townlands Steering Group, which comprises Henley town councillors and medical professionals, has asked whether the beds at Joyce Grove could remain open to care for patients suffering with coronavirus to relieve pressure on the NHS.

Councillor Ian Reissmann, the group’s chairman, said he didn’t receive a response.

To support the appeal, visit www.sueryder.org/donate