Nick Timothy — MP for West Suffolk — has written to the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB) to press the case for reversing a funding cut affecting St Nicholas Hospice in Bury St Edmunds.
St Nicholas Hospice, also known as St Nic’s, has had its statutory funding from the ICB removed, leading to the loss of an £80,000 annual grant.
Nick visited St Nic’s on Friday 11 October. He met with CEO Linda McEnhill and clinical services director Sharon Basson.
St Nic’s, which is based on the grounds of West Suffolk Hospital, costs around £8 million to run each year — or £22,000 per day. Although about a fifth of this comes from statutory funding, the facility still needs to generate a further £17,500 of income per day and relies on the goodwill of the community to keep going.
Following the visit, Nick said: “I was very keen to come to St Nic’s and hear more about the challenges and rewards of working in palliative care, and to hear from the frontline what ministers need to do to support hospices.
“I was concerned to hear about the Norfolk and Waveney ICB decision to remove funding for patients at St Nic’s, which continues to care for people from the area, and have written to the ICB about this.
Seeing this important work going on in West Suffolk is inspiring and it is crucial to ensure that St Nic’s continues to receive the financial support that it needs to keep helping people.“
Nick added: “I want to thank the whole team for giving so much to care for people and their families as they reach the end of their life.“
