Zoe's Place

[gramps85]

Heard on today's news that Zoe's Place, a childrens Hospice in Liverpool, was threatened with closure due to lack of money. A campaign was started in Liverpool to raise 1 million pound to save the Hospice, which has now been raised thanks to the generosity of ordinary people.

I find it very disturbing that we can send millions of our money to other countries, while our own children suffer in this way.

Do others believe that organisations, such as childrens hospices, should be prioritised before overseas aid?

[naomi24]

Absolutely!  Hospices do tremendous work.  I can't speak too highly of them.

[bednobs]

Although hospice s do get some state funding, the majority of it comes through charitable donations. People need to support their local hospices in order to keep them running as that's the only variable.

[bednobs]

I guess what I'm saying is if local people want to send millions to other countries rather than locally then their local hospice won't survive

[naomi24]

The public has no say on how much the government sends abroad.  

[New Judge]

Yes I do.

Approximately every three hours, the government is currently spending the amount the hospice needed to survive, on accommodating illegal migrants in agreeable hotels.

They should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves and before anyone suggests it, this is not a Party Political thing. The previous government was just as culpable.

[youngmafbog]

And guess what, Robber Reeves will be pinching those donation in the form of more Employer Insurance soon.

Makes you proud to be British doesnt it.🙄

[youngmafbog]

//The public has no say on how much the government sends abroad.  //

Well you could vote Reform and get it vastly reduced.

[max137]

My local Hospice does brilliant work in the community and should not rely on charity look after this country first.

[bednobs]

But the way hospices are set up mean that they get about 1 third of their funding from government. There is no difference in that whatever else govt spend our money on. If they doubled the overseas spending, your local hospice would still get the same proportion of funding from public funds.You should be campaigning for hospices to be commissioned in a different way of that's what you want. It would certainly be what I think most people would want

[bednobs]

I don't think ANY of the parties campaigned with a change hospice finding ticket though so there's apparently no appetite for it

[naomi24]

The question is should hospices be prioritised before overseas aid.  My answer is yes they should.  

[max137]

bednobs in answer to both your posts reduce spending on foreign aid,no the two main parties didn't mention it but they never mentioned many things.

[gramps85]

While I recognise that hospices do receive some funding from the NHS, I wondered if they were bought under the umbrella of the NHS and funded by money diverted from overseas aid whether this would work. The only trouble as I see it, is that if this did happen, they would go the same way as some hospitals have gone, and that is being bloated with non medical staff.  I agree, it is a conundrum on the best way to deal with this most important service.

[New Judge]

"If they doubled the overseas spending, your local hospice would still get the same proportion of funding from public funds"

Possibly. And if they trebled it? Increased it tenfold? Eventually something will have to give.

[chelle7272]

"But the way hospices are set up mean that they get about 1 third of their funding from government. There is no difference in that whatever else govt spend our money on"

Yes,  and unfortunately, NHS England funding for children's hospices is only guaranteed until 2025. After that is as yet unknown. 

It is unacceptable that end of life care services have to rely so heavily on charitable funding.

[bednobs]

I think that while hospices would ALWAYS like to have more money and the ability to help more people, they cherish the independence that not being under the NHS control gives them. Plenty (most) of end of life care goes on in other settings anyway. The care that one would receive in a hospice could well be diluted by being under NHS control

[bednobs]

"The question is should hospices be prioritised before overseas aid."

But that's a bit of a fake question really, as it's not a case of one or the other. 

[Canary42]

///It is unacceptable that end of life care services have to rely so heavily on charitable funding.///

Ditto our galiant troops in retiremment.

[andres]

So much for the NHS being set up to  take care of us from cradle to grave. 

[andres]

Overseas aid isn't always money . Goods that the poorer countries need are often sent . For instance we send prosthetic limbs to those children in Gaza . The ones who have had their arms and legs torn off with all the bombing. I for one do not begrudge foreign aid . The NHS should be taking care of all our children.