Fears over proposed job losses at Sussex hospice
The charity's warned it will need to make staff redundant just months after moving into a new facility
Crawley Borough Council and the town’s MP have issued a statement about expected job losses at St Catherine’s Hospice.
Last week, the hospice announced that it needed to save £1.5m and cut 40 jobs in order to secure its future.
Council leader Michael Jones and MP Peter Lamb voiced their concern and said they had raised the issue with health ministers and the NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board.
The hospice moved into its state-of-the-art £19.5m home in Pease Pottage in December 2023, having spent decades in Malthouse Road, Southgate.
This week, discussions started with the community service teams about proposed cuts to community facing services.
In a joint statement, Mr Jones and Mr Lamb said: “We have independently visited the new site to see the modern facilities being provided.
“In recent meetings with the hospice, we have been concerned to learn of the financial challenges they face and the difficult decisions they are having to take.
“The hospice has recently moved from its original premises in Malthouse Road, Southgate, to the new site in Pease Pottage. This was in part to expand their facilities to meet increased need in coming years.
“We understand the hospice was encouraged by health partners to make this move, but the funding has not followed.
“The impact is a retraction of a service we were told needed to expand.
“The message from Hospice UK, the national charity for end-of-life care, is clear that there is a need to create a short-term support plan to stem the flow of cuts and a commitment to long-term reform that makes sure everyone gets the end of life care they need, when and where they need it.
“We would support that decision.”
Giles Tomsett, the hospice’s chief executive said reductions to the support team had been going on since May.
He added: “It’s heartbreaking to have to reduce our team of highly skilled, specialist clinicians – some of whom have delivered expert support for many years and who all care so deeply about supporting families living with a terminal or life-limiting diagnosis and people coming towards the end of life.”