Sussex hospice group CEO urges the government to provide more funding

Last year, Southern Hospice Group formed following a merger between St Barnabas Hospices (St Barnabas House in Worthing and Chestnut Tree House near Arundel) and Martlets in Hove.

The merger was a vital first step in an increasingly challenging environment. With national underfunding and rising costs putting pressure on the hospice sector, these charities needed a more sustainable way to continue delivering palliative care across Sussex. Chestnut Tree House also extends its support to children in South East Hampshire and Portsmouth.

The new CEO, Stuart Palma joined Southern Hospice Group in April and has already announced a business plan which aims to achieve financial sustainability, ensuring invaluable hospice care remains available for Sussex communities. The majority of hospices in the UK are running at a deficit, and this includes Southern Hospice Group.

He said: “Without the merger, access to hospice care in Brighton and Hove would have been at serious risk. All three hospices face funding challenges, but Martlets was in a particularly urgent financial position. The merger has allowed us to continue serving our community and given us an opportunity to pool our expertise and services. While it doesn’t shield us from the wider funding crisis, we’re working hard to operate efficiently and maintain the high standard of care all three hospices are renowned for.”

It cost £34million to run the three hospices in 2024/25. Each year, most of the Group’s funds come from public donations and income from the hospices’ charity shops. With just over a fifth of the Group’s funding coming from the government, this has failed to keep pace with rising costs, leaving a chronic funding gap of £4million. This is not enough to provide the level of palliative care that is needed in Sussex, and many will be unable to access the care they need unless urgent changes are made.

The community teams play a vital role in delivering clinical care directly to patients in their own homes. Over the past year, they’ve carried out more than 16,000 visits, supporting 2,400 individuals. One such patient is Shaun Cuthman, who was diagnosed with a chronic heart condition in 2022. Following his hospital referral, he began receiving palliative care from St Barnabas House, where a Clinical Nurse Specialist now provides regular home visits. In addition to clinical support, Shaun takes part in wellbeing sessions such as baking, gardening, and other activities designed to promote independence, improve mobility, and offer valuable opportunities for social interaction.

Patient Shaun Cuthman at St Barnabas House

Shaun has expressed how grateful he is for the hospice care he has received saying: “St Barnabas has given me hope and the courage to carry on. My hospice nurses have been outstanding.”

Shaun also reflected on what the alternative would be if he did not have access to hospice care and said: “Sadly, without St Barnabas, I would be reliant on hospital care. And as we all know, the hospitals are stretched to breaking point. I have survived two falls plus my heart condition. My surgeons have been wonderful, but if it wasn’t for the personalised, expert care from St Barnabas, it’s my feeling that I probably wouldn’t be alive today.”

He has also benefitted from counselling which he feels has helped him significantly: “The months after my diagnosis would have been grim without St Barnabas. I was also grieving the loss of my brother who died from Covid in hospital. The counsellor from St Barnabas helped me so much, to come to terms with my diagnosis and through that bereavement.”

Many patients and families use the counselling services that hospices offer but this, along with other vital clinical care, could be at risk if the government does not act, Palma says.

This week (Oct 6-12) is Hospice Care Week and Southern Hospice Group is urging its communities to contact their local MP to show their support for keeping hospice services running.  These could – and should – be expanding to meet the rising demand, but the reality is that hospices are facing some difficult decisions.