Hospices receive £300,000 funding boost

Two Berkshire hospices will be given a financial boost as part of government funding for refurbishing facilities across England.

Maidenhead-based Thames Hospice is set to receive £255,000 and Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Service, also in Maidenhead, will be given nearly £48,000.

The government announced last year that hospices across England would receive £100m, saying families would see improved end-of-life care as a result.

Fiona Devine, founder of Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Service said the government funding would be "gratefully received" but it would not affect the hospice's long term financial sustainability.

The government confirmed the release of £25m for "facility upgrades and refurbishments" for hospices across England.

An additional £75 million is due to be made available from April.

It comes after hospice leaders warned they were forced to close beds due to increasing financial pressures.

Ms Devine, who set up the the charity after the death of her own son Alexander, in 2006, said hospices allowed patients to have a "really dignified" end of life experience.

"We make sure they know how to access us - we offer their families counselling or bereavement support."

Ms Devine told BBC Berkshire that the government funding was "very reassuring" and would be earmarked for IT infrastructure to support care and fundraising teams.

She added: "We are always going to be grateful of any money that comes to us, but that funding is actually a one off over two years and spread across 170 hospices.

"The devil is in the detail, we appreciate it but that doesn't really make any difference to our long term financial sustainability and running costs."

Only about a third of hospice funding in England comes from the NHS – the rest has to be raised from donations, fundraising and charity shops.

Minister for care, Stephen Kinnock, said: "This is the largest investment in a generation to help transform hospice facilities across England."

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