Beds to increase at hospice after funding agreement

New bed spaces will be created at a hospice in Derbyshire after a new funding agreement was reached.

Ashgate Hospice, based in Chesterfield, warned last year it would have to "scale back" services to save more than £2.6m, as it faced rising costs linked to inflation, energy bills and staff salaries.

However, officials announced on Monday that an agreement had been reached with Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) to fund specialist palliative and end-of-life care services during 2026/27.

The hospice said the move will allow it to increase from eight to 10 beds and continue to provide care across its wider services, including support in people's homes and through its virtual wards.

The hospice said the beds would open as soon as recruitment had been carried out and the right support was in place to ensure safe care.

The agreement has been described as an "important step", but it has warned it "does not remove the need for sustainable funding solutions for end-of-life care".

The hospice announced in December that it had made 19 roles redundant to cut costs, which included five inpatient unit nurses.

Barbara-Anne Walker, chief executive of Ashgate Hospice, said: "This has been a long and challenging period for everyone.

"The changes we have made in recent months were not decisions anyone wanted to take, but they were necessary to reduce the gap between the cost of our care and the funding we receive, and to help protect the future of Ashgate Hospice.

"This new agreement means we are now in a more stable financial position than we would otherwise have been.

"It remains a carefully managed situation, but this contract gives us more certainty than we had before."

The exact details of the agreement have not been confirmed, but the ICB said it "provides a more stable footing for the year ahead".

Amanda Sullivan, chief executive of the ICB, added: "I am pleased to have reached agreement on a new contract with Ashgate Hospice for the 2026/27 financial year.

"This ensures that the services provided for patients who are at the end of life or receiving palliative care can continue to be delivered by Ashgate on a sustainable footing."

Listen to BBC Radio Derby on Sounds and follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.