Proposed changes at Ashgate Hospice

A message from Barbara-Anne Walker, Chief Executive of Ashgate Hospice

“This is one of the hardest moments in Ashgate’s history. We never wanted to be in this position, but the reality is that the NHS does not fund us fairly for the care we provide here in North Derbyshire. 

“That’s why we are now consulting on proposals to reduce the number of inpatient beds, reshape some of our services and make changes to our team structures. These are heartbreaking choices, but they are necessary to protect Ashgate’s future for the generations of patients and families who will need us. 

“In the South of the county, specialist hospice care is fully funded. Here in the North, we provide the same care but must raise a huge proportion of the money ourselves. That’s simply not fair, and it means we are now facing heartbreaking choices. 

“Despite record-breaking fundraising and the extraordinary support of our community, the gap between what the NHS pays us and the true cost of care has become too big to fill. Our reserves are running critically low. Without action now, Ashgate’s future would be at risk. 

“I want to reassure our patients, and the people important to them, that nothing changes immediately. Our care continues as normal while we consult on these proposals. 

“We are determined to do everything we can to protect Ashgate’s future. That means continuing to campaign for fair, sustainable funding, and making sure our community always has access to expert, compassionate end of life care. 

“Thank you for standing with us at this difficult time.” 

Barbara-Anne Walker
Chief Executive, Ashgate Hospice 

Why this is happening 

We know many people in our community will be worried to hear that Ashgate Hospice is going through a consultation about proposed changes to our services. 

This is not a decision we ever wanted to make. But despite our best efforts, the gap between what the NHS pays us and the real cost of delivering care has grown so large that we can no longer bridge it with our reserves. Those reserves are now critically low. 

At the same time, the cost of delivering care is rising – from increases in the minimum wage and national insurance, to the growing complexity of our patients’ needs. 

We’ve worked hard to make savings elsewhere, and our fundraising and shops have delivered record-breaking results. But it’s still not enough. Right now, the NHS funds 50% of the care that it asks Ashgate to provide, and in real terms, that figure has been falling year on year. 

To safeguard Ashgate’s future, we need to reduce our spending by £2.6 million. Without action, our reserves will run out, and the hospice’s future would be at risk. 

The North-South divide 

We’ve been clear for some time that the current system of hospice funding is not sustainable. Unless the government and local NHS commissioners step up, hospices like Ashgate cannot go on filling the gap. 

There’s also an inequity across Derbyshire. In the south of the county, specialist end of life care is fully funded by the NHS. But here in the north, we are forced to fundraise to cover the true cost of the same care. That is simply not fair. 

We will continue to campaign hard for fair and sustainable NHS funding, including pressing for an end to this north-south divide. But we also have a responsibility to act now to protect Ashgate’s future for the generations of patients and the people important to them who will need us in years to come. 

What the proposals mean 

The proposals we are now consulting on would: 

• Reduce the number of inpatient beds we can keep open, from 15 to 6 

• Scale back or reshape some of our support services 

• Make changes to some of our team structures and roles 

We are doing everything we can to minimise the impact on patients and the people important to them. Wherever possible, we are protecting care in the community, where the majority of our patients are supported. 

What won’t change

What will never change is our commitment to outstanding, compassionate care. We’ll continue to be here for patients and the people important to them when they need us most, and we’ll support people through any transitions in their care. 

How you can help 

Ashgate needs your help now. The most important action you can take is to support our Act Now for Ashgate campaign and contact the Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board or your MP and ask them to support fair, sustainable funding for Ashgate. 

Other ways to support us include: 

• Donate to help Ashgate continue providing expert palliative and end-of-life care. 

• Volunteer in our shops or services to raise vital funds and stay connected to the community. 

• Share our stories and posts on social media to raise awareness of our funding challenges. 

Every action makes a difference. Together, we can make sure patients and the people important to them always have access to outstanding care. 

Worried or have questions about your care?

If you are a patient, or someone important to a patient, and you have questions or worries following our recent announcement, please know that nothing about your care is changing immediately. 

We remain here to give outstanding care and support, as always. 

If you would like reassurance or have concerns, you can contact us: 

Call us on 01246 565 026
Email us at [email protected]