HOSPICES caring for terminally ill people in the county are being forced to up their fundraising efforts to balance the books in the wake of authority cuts.

Helen and Douglas House in East Oxford needs to raise more than £5m each year to keep caring for terminally ill children and young adults.

The hospice said that last year it got just over 10 per cent of that through NHS England statutory funding and had to rely on the public, grants and other donations for the rest.

While HDH got £1.1m of statutory funding in 2013-14, it got just £615,000 in 2014-15.

The hospice said it was too early to say whether this would rise or fall over the next year.

Helen and Douglas House said it got no cash from either Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group or Oxfordshire County Council.

PR officer for the hospice Bobbie Stormont said: “The reported challenges of ‘fragile, unfair and unsustainable’ contributions from statutory commissioners are a well-recognised reality for Helen & Douglas House, which needs to generate nearly 90 per cent of its costs of care through voluntary donations each year.

“Last financial year, Oxfordshire children accounted for almost half of the care provided in Helen House, yet both the OCCG and county council have declined to contribute any funding.”

He added the hospice continued to work in partnership with NHS community and hospital teams.

Michaela Middleton and her family, from Upper Arncott near Bicester, have visited Helen and Douglas House regularly over the past four years and also fundraise for the charity.

Son Finley has a rare genetic disorder GINS1, further complicated by infections caused by a weak immune system that often leave him in hospital. At the age of six he weighs just 8kg – the size of a 9-12 month child.

Mother-of-two Mrs Middleton said: “We use it all the time – it’s like a Garden of Eden for us. It gives the whole family a rest.”

Mrs Middleton said she fundraised regularly for the charity through cake sales and charity runs.

She added: “The authorities are being a bit stingy.

“We do quite a lot of fundraising and it distresses me we haven’t got that back-up from them.

“The hospices provide such a good service and it would be nice if they could have more cash to pay staff and top up in other areas.”

Katharine House Hospice in Banbury said it needed £6,000 a day to run its adult hospice last year and since April it now needs to find £9,000 a day after a statutory funding freeze in the face of increasing costs.

Communications officer Sophie Bird said: “Our Midnight Walk numbers were down this year so our events fundraising isn’t working as it should.

“We may have to look at trusts and support from local businesses.”

She added the hospice was lucky to be well supported by Oxfordshire residents. A survey by Hospice UK and Together for Short Lives revealed three in five children’s hospices nationally had their funding cut this year.

Oxford Mail:

  • Work: Charlie Boffin, 15, with Angela Salmon, a paediatric nurse at Helen House

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Owen Morton said it worked closely with HDH, despite not providing direct funding.

He added: “The council is itself in the process of making huge financial savings as a result of vastly reduced Government funding and is on course to save £290m between 2010 and 2018.

“The council does, however, continue to provide support for disabled children and young people – including those with life-limiting conditions – for example through the funding of contracts for short breaks and respite care.”

Sarah Breton, lead commissioner for children, young people and maternity services with Oxfordshire County Council and the OCCG, said the OCCG commissioned palliative care for children, provided by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.

She added: “As part of this service, the team works closely with Helen and Douglas House and clinical teams in local hospitals to deliver high quality end-of-life care for children and their families in the county.”