Jump to content

 

 

Coronavirus and the political situation


Recommended Posts

Deal with thei issue and worry about crossing 't's and dotting 'i's thereafter. Jesus. 

A run couldn't menage. 

 

Struggling hospices are left waiting for millions

SNP ministers accused of withholding UK funds

Mike Wade

Monday March 08 2021, 12.01am, The Times

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/struggling-hospices-are-left-waiting-for-millions-0hwtfbrhn

 

Scotland’s health secretary has been branded “a disgrace” after it emerged that at least £14 million of emergency funding has been withheld from hospices — more than half the amount allocated by the UK Treasury.

Jeane Freeman pledged in April that £19 million would be channelled into hospices across the country as “consequentials” of a £200 million emergency grant to the sector in England made by Rishi Sunak, the chancellor.

Along with a further winter payment from Sunak, a total of £24 million has been made available to the Scottish government as a consequence of the Barnett formula. However, only £10 million has been passed on.

 

Hospices in Scotland, whose finances have been ravaged by the impact of the pandemic on charity shop sales, were dismayed by the actions of the Scottish government, which have left the sector with “a real challenge”, according to senior figures.

“We have had £10 million, not as much as we were led to believe we would get,” a hospice executive said.

“Collectively we have survived, but we have a very difficult year coming. How we navigate the next 12 months is going to be a real challenge.”

Freeman’s funding commitment, made in answer to a question from Alex Neil, a former health secretary who served in both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon’s cabinets, was unequivocal and widely welcomed in the sector.

In April, she promised: “All of that consequential funding . . . will be passed direct to the hospices and throughout the hospice network.”

However, a Scottish government official said that it had since proved “challenging to obtain clarity about the final funding figure for hospices as part of a wider Department of Health and Social Care funding package”.

Neil, the SNP MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, said “all monies earmarked for hospices must be allocated urgently”.

He added: “Many hospices in Scotland are in a very shaky financial position; they need urgent support from the Scottish government.”

 

Donald Cameron, the Scottish Conservative health spokesman, said it was “a disgrace” that money had been withheld and demanded that Freeman “urgently explain what has happened to the missing millions”. He added: “Hospices play a sensitive and vital role for families caught up in the most tragic circumstances.

“This isn’t the first time the SNP government has hoarded significant funds provided by the UK government for the purpose of getting Scotland through the pandemic. The SNP need to wake up and realise they are hurting vulnerable people with their ineptitude.”

Freeman’s failure to deliver has compounded the impact of a disastrous fall in revenue from closed charity shops and cancelled fundraising events caused by the pandemic.

 

CHAS, Children’s Hospices Across Scotland, said it was likely to fall £3 million short of an annual fundraising target of £10 million.

Marie Curie, which provides palliative care in 31 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities, would normally raise £750,000 in March with its annual Daffodil Appeal, but this month will have no street collections.

Public funding for hospices varies between 32 and 37 per cent around the UK. Heidi Travis, chief executive at Sue Ryder, said this should rise to 70 per cent. “It is unfathomable that such a critical part of our healthcare system is hanging by a thread,” she said.

The umbrella group Hospice UK urged Freeman to honour her commitment. Jonathan Ellis, its director of policy and advocacy, said: “With the final figures for the HM Treasury funding now confirmed, we look forward to hearing more about the Scottish government’s plans to make sure that everyone in Scotland is able to access the hospice and end-of-life care that they need as the pandemic continues.”

In a written answer last month, Steve Barclay, chief secretary to the Treasury. said devolved administrations could allocate hospice funding “as they see fit”.

A Scottish government spokesman said: “We recognise the vital support provided by hospices at this challenging time, and thank all of those providing direct care in Scotland’s hospices.

“The Scottish government has been working with the Scottish Hospices Leadership Group and provided £10.1 million to Scottish hospices earlier this year to meet in full their requests for financial assistance, based on need associated with their loss of income due to the lockdown.

“We remain committed to supporting the vital role of Scottish hospices and are continuing to work with them through the [leadership group] to identify what support is needed in the current lockdown period so that appropriate financial support can be provided.”

Link to post
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, MacK1950 said:

Their Independence pot must be some total with all the syphoned off cash.

They are saving up for a potential loss of the Barnett money and have probably saved a week's worth by now !!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.