Latest news with #StephenKinnock
BBC News
4 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Wolverhampton: 'Funding reforms for hospices are urgently needed'
Bosses at a hospice say changes to hospice funding are still "urgently needed" despite being one of 18 charities in the West Midlands to receive a government grant to help upgrade Care in Wolverhampton received £647,697, which must be used for capital projects under the criteria attached to the cash would support improvements to facilities, grounds and digital infrastructure, according to the hospice's the funding cannot be used to directly deliver clinical services, they said, and as a result would not address current financial challenges facing the hospice sector. "Sustainable and fair funding reforms remain urgently needed," a spokesperson for Compton Care government announced this week it was providing £75m to be shared between about 170 hospices across England, which followed a £25m funding announcement in February."Hospices play a vital role in our society by providing invaluable care and support when people need it most," said minister for care Stephen Kinnock. 'Immense pressure' "I have seen firsthand how our funding is already making a real difference in improving facilities for patients and families."This additional funding will deliver further upgrades, relieving pressure on day-to-day spending."The announcement of capital funding for hospices was "welcome recognition" from the government of the "immense pressure" facing hospices and their urgent need for more financial support, according to Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK, a national body representing hospices."While this one-off investment has been very welcome, it's critical that we continue to work with government to secure long-term reform to ensure hospice care is there for everyone who needs it, whoever and wherever they are," he said. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
North-west of England's hospices to receive £9.2m government fund
About 30 hospices in the north-west of England will collectively receive £9.2m from the government's recently announced £75m fund for end-of-life Ann's Hospice in Greater Manchester and Trinity Hospice and Palliative Care Services in Blackpool have each been allocated more than £600, House Children's Hospice in Merseyside will receive more than £513,000, while the Hospice of the Good Shepherd in Chester has been awarded £243, Minister Stephen Kinnock said: "At this most difficult time, people deserve to receive the best care in the best possible environment with dignity." Hospices in the north-west of England provide services for about 23,000 people, with demand and costs continuing to rise. Unlike the NHS, hospices are not fully funded by the state and rely on charity contributions for about two-thirds of their sector reported an estimated shortfall of £60m during the last financial year. 'Important support' Speaking earlier this week at Wigan & Leigh Hospice, which received £500,000, Kinnock said financially struggling hospices needed a long-term funding also said the Department for Health and Social Care "need to step up and do our bit".Paul Waugh, Labour MP for Rochdale, said it was "great news" that the town's Springhill Hospice, where one of his relatives was cared for, had been awarded £335, Phil Brickell, Labour MP for Bolton, said a £321,556 grant for Bolton Hospice "will make a real difference".Brickell, who climbed Africa's highest mountain Kilimanjaro to raise funds in 2023, said: "While hospices operate outside of the NHS, it's important that we support them wherever we can."The funds are expected to be used for an array of improvements, including separate family rooms and specially adapted beds. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Hospices need long-term funding plan, minister says
Financially struggling hospices need a long-term funding plan rather than "sticking plaster" solutions, a government health minister has said. Labour Minister of State for the Department of Health and Social Care Stephen Kinnock last week announced £75 million to be shared by 170 hospices across the country. Unlike the NHS, hospices are not fully funded by the state and rely on charity contributions for about two thirds of their funding, with the sector reporting an estimated shortfall of £60m last financial year. Speaking at Wigan & Leigh Hospice in Greater Manchester, which received £500,000 from the funding pool, Kinnock said the government needed to cover a bigger portion of the cost. "We do warmly welcome the way that people step up and get involved in supporting their local hospice, but I absolutely recognise that we, the Department for Health and Social Care, we need to step up and do our bit," he said. The £75 million is in addition to a £25 million package the government distributed in February. Hospices in the north west of England provide end-of-life and palliative care for some 23,000 people in the region, with demand and costs continuing to rise. Geoff Crook, 68, had been receiving care at Wigan & Leigh Hospice earlier this month alongside his wife Margaret, allowing him to be by her side for her final moments. "I don't think we would have been able to cope if we hadn't had anything like this, I really don't" he said. Wigan & Leigh Hospice chief executive Jo Carby said the £500,000 would be used to fix the building's leaking roof and to put in a new heating system and memory garden. But she said it was "not enough" and that hospices needed a longer-term solution. "Everyone's struggling for money essentially in our borough and it is unfair for us to be asking the people of Wigan to be spending more of their money when they already have less to spend in order to keep the hospice going," she said. Kinnock said the government was currently negotiating how much funding would be allocated to palliative and end-of-life care in its three-year-spending review settlement. He said: "As soon as we have that I want to see that long-term plan to take us at least through to the end of this parliament. Kinnock said the government was determined to find "long-term solutions". "I have made it very clear to my team of officials in [the Department] that I don't want another last-minute scramble at the end of the financial year to, with a sticking plaster, solve a problem for the short term," he said. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. More on this story Campaigners warn NHS 'cannot afford hospice cuts' Hospice fears pre-Christmas funding plans shelved Campaigner takes hospice petition to Downing Street Hospices facing funding crisis Related internet links Department of Health & Social Care
BBC News
7 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
No more sticking plasters over Hospice funding, minister says
Financially struggling hospices need a long-term funding plan rather than "sticking plaster" solutions, a government health minister has said. Labour Minister of State for the Department of Health and Social Care Stephen Kinnock last week announced £75 million to be shared by 170 hospices across the country. Unlike the NHS, hospices are not fully funded by the state and rely on charity contributions for about two thirds of their funding, with the sector reporting an estimated shortfall of £60m last financial year. Speaking at Wigan & Leigh Hospice in Greater Manchester, which received £500,000 from the funding pool, Kinnock said the government needed to cover a bigger portion of the cost. "We do warmly welcome the way that people step up and get involved in supporting their local hospice, but I absolutely recognise that we, the Department for Health and Social Care, we need to step up and do our bit," he said. The £75 million is in addition to a £25 million package the government distributed in February. Hospices in the north west of England provide end-of-life and palliative care for some 23,000 people in the region, with demand and costs continuing to rise. Geoff Crook, 68, had been receiving care at Wigan & Leigh Hospice earlier this month alongside his wife Margaret, allowing him to be by her side for her final moments. "I don't think we would have been able to cope if we hadn't had anything like this, I really don't" he said. Wigan & Leigh Hospice chief executive Jo Carby said the £500,000 would be used to fix the building's leaking roof and to put in a new heating system and memory garden. But she said it was "not enough" and that hospices needed a longer-term solution. "Everyone's struggling for money essentially in our borough and it is unfair for us to be asking the people of Wigan to be spending more of their money when they already have less to spend in order to keep the hospice going," she said. Kinnock said the government was currently negotiating how much funding would be allocated to palliative and end-of-life care in its three-year-spending review settlement. He said: "As soon as we have that I want to see that long-term plan to take us at least through to the end of this parliament. Kinnock said the government was determined to find "long-term solutions". "I have made it very clear to my team of officials in [the Department] that I don't want another last-minute scramble at the end of the financial year to, with a sticking plaster, solve a problem for the short term," he said. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Times
20-07-2025
- Health
- Times
NHS opens first 24/7 mental health hub to help get people into work
Patients with psychosis and schizophrenia will be given help finding jobs at NHS walk-in centres to ensure they are no longer 'condemned to a life of worklessness'. The new 'one-stop shops' for people with severe mental illness will be open 24/7 and aim to stop patients 'bouncing around' between different services such as hospital wards, A&E and the police. As well as providing routine appointments and specialist NHS psychiatric care, the centres will have employment advisors and partner with local organisations to offer help with housing, debt and domestic violence. Stephen Kinnock, the minister for care, said the clinics aim to 'catch people before they fall', providing wraparound care for hundreds of NHS patients already known to local services and helping to prevent hospital stays. About one in 110 people in England have a severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and psychotic disorder. NHS figures show that less than one in ten of such patients are in paid employment, despite 80 per cent wanting to work. The hubs will open on high streets and are designed for people with long-term serious mental health problems, as part of a 'neighbourhood care' model unveiled by Labour's ten-year NHS Plan. The first centre — Barnsley Street Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre — opened last week in Bethnal Green, east London, and has a team of 40 staff offering drop-in sessions with psychiatrists, nurses and social workers. It will also have six beds for those who need to stay overnight. A further five clinics will launch this year. Trained employment advisers will also be embedded in the hubs to help patients find a job or volunteering opportunities. Kinnock said: 'People have been badly let down by the mental health system for far too long. This is a supportive and welcoming environment to demonstrate to people that they're not being shunned by society. They are being brought into the community.' • After my father died I was sectioned with severe psychosis Helping patients with mental health problems find work was a 'key priority', he said, adding: 'The vast majority of psychiatrists and psychologists will tell you that human interaction, social interaction, is vitally important for people with mental health conditions, and work is one of the best ways of having that interaction. 'Many patients have a huge amount to offer. They may well be facing mental health challenges, but they're also extremely creative and very bright people, so they can bring a lot to a work environment.' Kinnock added that ministers were 'pretty convinced' the centres would help reduce the number of people ending up in hospital wards or A&Es, saving the NHS money. 'Often, going on to the hospital ward is not the right way for somebody to be treated. It can actually be very counterproductive and worsen the state of distress, trauma.' One patient at the London centre, Moynah Miah, 47, has paranoid schizophrenia and has been in the care of mental health services for most of his adult life. He has started coming every day. 'I come here and have a cup of tea. The staff are very friendly and helpful. They helped me with my housing when the council wanted to evict me,' he said. Claire Murdoch, the national mental health director for the NHS, said that most severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, are lifelong conditions. The centres will enable patients to 'dip in and out' whenever they need support, providing continuity of care, whereas patients are currently 'bounced around between teams' and can end up in police cells. She said: 'This is a one-stop shop that you can come to again and again, that might help you with housing, debt, employment, relationships.' • Bella Mackie: What doctors never told me about quitting antidepressants Murdoch said many people never work again after being severely mentally unwell, which is 'devastating'. Patients 'don't want to be held back by their diagnosis', she said, 'they want to be a volunteer, to have a meaningful day, to make a contribution, to go back into education … why should we condemn somebody to a life of worklessness?' Only six to eight per cent of people with severe mental illness are in paid employment, compared to 75 per cent of the general population. Dr Sheraz Ahmad, a consultant psychiatrist and clinical lead at the Tower Hamlets service, said the centre will be a base for about 600 local patients who are currently under the care of community mental health services, and provide a better alternative to hospitals. He said: 'I've worked on [psychiatric] wards for years. I don't think anybody would argue that wards are good, yet they often seem to be the only option.' Ahmad said NHS staff are partnering with organisations specialising in areas such as domestic violence and asylum seekers, to build trust with patients and reach 'communities that often run away from us'.
