'This money is nice, but it's not the answer really' - Hospice chiefs react following £3.4m government funding rollout across the Midlands
Chief executives from two of the West Midlands hospices that received government funding have shared their gratitude for the cash injection, but insist more needs to be done to support their organisations.
The Midlands has received £3,401,243 in hospice funding, with more than 10 of those being in the West Midlands.
It comes after the Express and Star and Shropshire Star launched a campaign for change with its Fair Deal for Hospices Campaign, supporting Hospice UK's four-point plan for fair funding that aims to secure the future of hospice care.
Hospices provide vital palliative care both at their centres and in the community, offering vital medical help and support to families, but are forced to do so without a sustained or regular income from central government, instead having to rely on short-term grants that do not allow them to plan for the future.
Compton Care received the fifth highest sum as part of the funding, but CEO Rachel Overfield insisted the hospice needs more support amidst the ongoing cost of living crisis.
"We're grateful for it and it definitely helps, but on it's own it certainly doesn't help to keep all of our services going," Rachel said. "The money that we receive can only be spent on buildings, equipment and technology, and cannot be spent on staff which means it doesn't really help the underlying financial challenges that hospices face.
