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Mark Hunter MP & the Cheadle Liberal Democrats
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MP takes Hospice fight to Westminster
January 19, 2007 1:08 PM
St Ann's Hospice
Cheadle MP, Mark Hunter, has this week tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons to highlight concerns about the future funding of St Ann's Hospice in Heald Green. The move follows a meeting the MP had with St Ann's Chief Executive Terry McDonnell, at the hospice just before Christmas. At this meeting fears were expressed about the future of NHS funding. At present St Ann's receives only a third of the £9 million a year it takes to provide its free-to-patient care from the NHS, with the rest coming from charitable donations. The concern is that changes to NHS funding in the future might result in St Ann's struggling to meet their costs.
Speaking after submitting the EDM, Mark Hunter said, "I wanted to bring this matter to the attention of the House because I know there are real fears over the future funding arrangements. Quite simply, I am very keen to ensure any future funding mechanism guarantees that the essential work of the Hospice remains sustainable. I have nothing but praise for St Ann's and the important work it does in providing quality end of life care for people in our area, and I want to ensure that it can continue to do so for a long time to come.".
Mark has already spoken to local Labour and Conservative MPs in an attempt to garner all party support for St Ann's at this important time.
The text of the EDM is as follows: St Ann's Hospice - 657
"That this House congratulates St Ann's Hospice for being named, for the third year running, in the Sunday Times Top Ten Best Companies to Work for in Britain; notes the essential work that St Ann's does to provide end of life care for the people of Cheadle, Stockport and Greater Manchester; notes that it costs St Ann's over £9 million a year to provide its free to patient care; further notes that only one third of this amount comes from NHS contributions and that the remaining two thirds is dependent on charitable donations from within the local community; calls on the Government to ensure a fairer funding mechanism by the NHS which will ensure the work of the Hospice remains sustainable."
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