Hunts Lib Dem Councillors back campaign to save hospice beds

Huntingdonshire’s Liberal Democrat District Councillors have backed the campaign to protect the funding for Arthur Rank Hospice, where funding cuts threaten to lead to the closure of nine beds at the hospice.

Arthur Rank Hospice near Cambridge provides leading end-of-life care to patients from across the region. The hospice currently has capacity for 21 beds, but in October Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) announced that they will cut their funding for the hospice.

This means the hospice is set to lose over £800k of funding, leading to the closure of nine beds. Arthur Rank have said the cut means that over 200 people will not have the option of being cared for in their hospice - which will have a major impact on the quality of care that patients and their families will receive.

Cambridgeshire's three Liberal Democrat MPs have led a public petition in support of the hospice, calling for the beds to be protected and for the government to commit to solving the funding crisis that hospices face across the country. The petition has received over 16,000 signatures and has been delivered to 10 Downing Street.

Huntingdonshire's Lib Dem District Councillors have written to the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, and the Chief Executive of CUH, Roland Sinker. In the letter, they expressed their support for the public petition, asked CUH for assurance that patients in Cambridgeshire will receive the best end-of-life care possible, and called on the Health Secretary to intervene in the funding crisis faced by hospices across England.

Cllr Sarah Conboy, Huntingdonshire Liberal Democrat Group Leader said: “The cuts to Arthur Rank Hospice will have a massive impact on patients across the county, including here in Huntingdonshire. Health and care is a top priority for our area which is why comfortable, caring, and professional end-of-life facilities like Arthur Rank are so important.”

Cllr Nathan Hunt, Liberal Democrat District Councillor said: “We understand the financial situation that CUH is in - after years of national government cuts they’re having to make difficult decisions. However, we need to make sure people have access to quality end-of-life care and losing these beds at Arthur Rank puts that at risk for so many.”

Ian Sollom, Lib Dem MP for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire said: “I’m proud that this campaign has the backing of many of our local Councillors. Over 16,000 people have signed the petition to the Health Secretary to protect the beds at Arthur Rank, showing how concerned local people are about this. The Labour government needs to end the national funding crisis for palliative care and stick by their commitment to support more community-based care.”