By Isle of Wight Observer
Mountbatten’s CEO Nigel Hartley has asked who is being held accountable for inadequate support for palliative care, saying that in his 35 years working in hospices he has never known “such a critical and desperate time”.
The funding for Mountbatten hospice will be down £800,000 in April, due to no uplift in the NHS grant and previous grants have not covered increased costs.
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Hospice and End of Life Care has issued a report which says: “commissioning of hospice services is currently not fit for purpose. As a result, the services hospices provide for dying people and their families and the value they provide to the health system is at risk.”
Mr Hartley is warning that Islanders who currently receive support through death, dying and bereavement will suffer.
Mountbatten currently supports around 2,000 Islanders at any one time, and this is estimated to increase by 40 per cent over the next few years due to the Island’s aging population. He said: “If something doesn’t change soon, we will be saying goodbye to our beloved hospice movement and the growing number of people who so desperately need our care will be left and ignored as they were at the birth of the NHS in the 1940s.”
Meanwhile a new initiative to support Mountbatten has been launched. The Friends of Mountbatten hope to welcome many new members in 2024. Annual membership for an individual costs £60 and for couples £100. Members will receive a special pin badge and car sticker, and the chance to attend two exclusive events during the year. To join the Friends of Mountbatten visit iow.life/friendsofmountbatten.
