Cost of living: Hampshire charity Rowans Hospice issues donations plea as pressure mounts on services

The Waterlooville-based organisation, which provides palliative and end of life care for people in Portsmouth and surrounding areas, is predicting a £1.1m deficit this financial year due to a lack of income and a growing demand for its services.

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Rowans Hospice chief executive officer Ruth White said: ‘Rising costs and a reduction in voluntary income from individual donors due to the poor economy will result in a deficit position at year end.

‘A deficit for next year of circa £1,100,000 is also predicted. Thankfully, we have £1.8m above the level of reserve, which is part of a Budget Recovery Plan to support the charity until the economy and impact on voluntary giving improves, or there is an increase in statutory funding - our NHS grant income is just 10 per cent on total operating costs.

‘While a number of hospices are now reducing their number of in-patient beds in operation, Rowans Hospice Charity will increase our bed offer from 19 to 22 beds during this year, recognising an ageing population and a predicted rise in mortality. These much-needed beds will cost a further £130,000 a year to staff, and we are understandably nervous about moving forward with additional costs. However, running a waiting list and turning people away is both unpalatable and reputationally damaging.

‘We will therefore run the risk of opening the beds, but will worry in the event we should have to close them and make redundancies in two years if we no longer have surplus reserves.’

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The charity leader added that raising these issues publicly is ‘a risk’ necessary to highlight the importance of independent hospice charities so that policy makers will take notice. An ageing population in the UK will put further pressure on organisations such as Rowans, which could by extension further strain the NHS.

You can support Rowans Hospice by donating directly through its website, at one of its fundraising events, or by visiting one of its charity shops in and around Portsmouth.