Scottish Government should make Highland Hospice ‘a nationally funded service’ says Fergus Ewing amid risks posed by Labour’s National Insurance hikes
Fergus Ewing has called for the Scottish Government to step-in and help fund the Highland Hospice arguing it is not just vital for those who call on the end of life service but for the NHS too.
He has written to cabinet secretary for health and social care Neil Gray urging the Scottish Government to take-on funding responsibility for what “should be a nationally supported service”.
The MSP for Inverness and Nairn spoke out after meeting with Kenny Steele, the chief executive of Highland Hospice, who revealed earlier this month the Labour government’s National Insurance hikes will cost the charity an additional £171,000 a year.
Mr Ewing believes the Highland Hospice is vital and has been for years but that it is “unacceptable” that it has to rely on the “generosity of the people of the Highlands” to fund what he sees as a “national healthcare necessity.”
He said: “The Highlands are paying for what should be a national service, and it is time the Scottish Government stepped up to provide the support our hospices need. This is an issue of fairness and compassion.
“Hospices play a critical role not just in providing care but also in reducing the burden on our overstretched NHS. A small fraction of the funds currently spent on health service bureaucracies in the central belt could go a long way in securing the future of hospice care here in the Highlands.”
Mr Ewing continued: “Raigmore Hospital is increasingly becoming a care home by default, which is neither cost-effective nor in line with what most people want at the end of their lives.
“Currently patients in their last year of life account for one in five emergency ambulance conveyances, one in four unscheduled care attendances to hospital, and one in three occupied unscheduled beds in hospital.
“In the Highlands, 75 per cent of the annual £45 million spent on end of life care is directed toward hospital care, even though most people would prefer to be cared for at home.
“Highland Hospice has already demonstrated that better planned and coordinated care, delivered at home or in the community, not only provide the care people want but also saves money.
“For example their 24/7 Palliative Care Helpline and rapid response services are reducing hospital stays, saving £2.3 million in just six months, while providing dignity and comfort to patients and families.
“If NHS Highland shows leadership by working collaboratively with the Highland Hospice, we can scale up this approach across the Highlands, using tax money far more effectively.
“A key step would be for NHS GP Practices to follow the example of private GPs and sign up to use these essential palliative care services.”
Mr. Ewing has pledged to continue advocating for a sustainable, national funding model to ensure that hospices like Highland Hospice can continue their invaluable work for years to come.”
