Ashgate Hospice was delighted to feature on BBC Breakfast and BBC News calling for more funding to be made available for hospices across the UK. 

Our Director of Care, Claire Shaw, was live on the sofa with a representative from Hospice UK, discussing our funding pressures and why it’s crucial for us, and all hospices, to receive more support. 

Our Chief Executive, Barbara-Anne Walker, Registered Nurse, Kayleigh Peacock, and Kimberley Greaves, the wife of a patient we cared for, also featured on the show. 

The segment, which went out on 15th April, was also broadcast on the evening bulletins on BBC News. 

We, like most other hospices, urgently require additional financial support from the Government to alleviate the strain on our resources and ensure that everyone receives the end of life care they deserve. 

A debate on the future of hospice funding will be held by MPs at parliament on Monday 22nd April, after a previously planned motion on the same day we featured on the news. 

Jack Wood, our Director of Income Generation, said: “The challenges facing hospices across the UK are deeply concerning. Here at Ashgate Hospice we face the stark reality that we need to raise £30,000 from our local community every single day in order to provide our care.

“We know that over 2,400 people in North Derbyshire will need our vital end of life care this year, and that need is only going to grow in the coming years. The sharp rise in living expenses, exacerbated by the current economic climate, further adds to our financial burden.   

“With the number of patients needing our services projected to rise, our current funding levels will make it impossible to meet this growing demand. We know that 80% of people want to die at home, but we also know that 43% of people at the end of their life in Derbyshire died in hospital last year.

“This highlights a significant gap between people’s wishes for the end of their lives and the reality of where individuals ultimately receive care.  

“As is the case for other hospices up and down the country, we urgently require additional support to alleviate the strain on our resources and ensure that everyone receives the end of life care they deserve – because we only ever have one chance to get it right.” 

Please head to our website to read more about our Urgent Appeal and how you can help support the hospice.