Lincolnshire hospice faces funding crisis

A Lincolnshire hospice says a lack of funding has become so bad it's threatening to limit what they can do to help people with a terminal illness.

St Barnabas gets little Government funding and has to rely on donations.

But that's gone down to such an extent that they're now considering cutting services.

We spoke to Chris Wheway the Chief Executive.

They provide care across the county in places like Lincoln, Grantham and Boston as well as having a lot of charity shops.

Chris says: "Right now it is quite serious."

I think we're rapidly moving into a place where if we're not careful we're going to lose hospices

"Many many people assume that when they end up in an end of life situation their local hospice will be there."

"We've grown up knowing there's a hospice service pretty much everywhere in one form or another."

"I think we're rapidly moving into a place where if we're not careful we're going to lose hospices and certainly we're going to lose their impact."

"Services are being cut - there's no 2 ways about it."

"This isn't just a business that you have to make tough decisions - this is about people's lives."

"When you're making decisions and reductions in services you know full well that what that actually means is potentially someone is going to die in a poor situation."

There's a pragmatic reality to all of this and that is - you can't do something for nothing.

"We are having to ask some really serious questions - yes."

"The last thing in the world I want to do is reduce services for the people of Lincolnshire."

"I will do everything in my power not to and work with colleagues."

"But there's a pragmatic reality to all of this and that is - you can't do something for nothing."

"The hospices are loved by their local communities there's no two ways about that."

"But people have less money in their pockets and so they're paying more into their mortgages - they're paying more for food and heating."

"So that does create problem for them to donate."

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