21 May 2025 Care

The Kirkwood announces service and workforce changes amid hospice funding crisis

The Kirkwood has today (22 May 2025) announced that 19 employees from across the charity have sadly been made redundant following a consultation period designed to secure our future. Nine employees have also agreed to cut hours or adjust their roles to help reduce annual costs by £1.7m.

Like many hospices across the UK, The Kirkwood has faced a ‘perfect storm’ of rising operational costs over the past few years. With demand for hospice services increasing year on year, huge rises in the price of essential equipment, energy, and food have put a major strain on our charity’s finances.

Only around 25% of our funding comes from the NHS, meaning we rely heavily on the generosity of our local community to fund the majority of our services. While supporters’ contributions have continued to grow, the effect of the cost-of-living crisis has meant these efforts have not been enough to keep pace with our ever-increasing financial needs. Despite ongoing efforts to reduce costs we have lost around £4 million over the last three years.

We have been lobbying to secure a better balance of funding with its NHS partners, locally, regionally and nationally, but despite positive conversations with commissioners, we have not yet been able to secure any additional financial support.

With staff costs representing the majority of our £11 million annual expenditure, April’s rise in the National Living Wage and National Insurance contributions for employers further deepened these financial pressures, leading to an announcement in January that we needed to save £1.7m each year to put our finances back on a secure footing. We also revealed proposals to make significant cuts to services, with up to 33 roles at risk as we faced ‘the worst financial crisis in our almost 40-year history’.

Following the end of a collective and individual consultation period, we can now announce that 19 employees have left the charity through redundancy, whilst nine employees have agreed to reduce their hours or adjust their roles. During this challenging period for the charity, several of our employees have also taken the decision to retire or seek opportunities elsewhere, helping to further reduce the hospice’s costs.

Announcing the devastating news, The Kirkwood’s Chief Executive, Michael Crowther, said: “As you can imagine, this has been one of the most difficult periods in The Kirkwood’s history. Having to make any of our highly skilled colleagues redundant is not something we ever thought we would have to do.

“Our employees go above and beyond every single day to provide the very best care for our patients and families and this has been the single hardest decision we have ever had to make, but quite simply, we have to make it now to ensure the long-term future of The Kirkwood.”

“I would like to acknowledge all those who have left the charity during this really difficult time for their dedication and commitment. Throughout this process, they have continued to put the needs of our patients and families first and have played a vital role in helping our charity to move toward a sustainable future.”

As part of the longer-term changes to our services, we are already making changes, which will lead to a reduction in the number of patients wecan care for around 2,100 last year to around 1,300 in the future.

Michael said: “Unfortunately, the scale of our funding crisis has meant we’ve had to make some really difficult decisions about our clinical services as well as reducing our workforce. Although we won’t be closing any of our core services, the changes will impact every area of the charity.

“The truth is, without increased support, it simply isn’t possible to maintain the full range of care we have provided over the past few years. Sadly, we anticipate the number of patients and families we care for each year will reduce significantly.

As part of the changes to our services, we have taken the difficult decision to reduce the number of beds in our In-Patient Unit from 16 to 12.

We will continue to provide specialist palliative support at home and in care homes across Kirklees, but will be working within a reduced capacity, meaning our team will need to prioritise those with the most urgent and unmet needs.

A smaller programme of wellbeing and support sessions for patients and carers will operate from this month (May 2025), with sessions being held at The Kirkwood’s hospice in Dalton and at the Rosewood Centre in the grounds of Dewsbury District Hospital.

Despite the changes, The Kirkwood will continue to offer advice and guidance through our Connect with The Kirkwood service and 24/7 Advice Line. We encourage anyone affected by a life limiting illness who believes they might benefit from our services to contact us directly or seek a referral from their healthcare professional on: 01484 557 910 or via our website by clicking here.

“Although we need to reduce our offering to safeguard the future of our vital services, we will continue to work closely with patients and healthcare partners to determine how The Kirkwood can best support their care.” said Michael.

“We remain committed to offering the very best palliative and end of life care, which recognises the individual needs and wishes of those in our care. We will continue to treat every patient with dignity and respect, whilst prioritising those whose needs can’t be met elsewhere.

“We may not be able to care for as many people in the coming years, but we will never stop striving to meet the needs of those affected by any life limiting illness. At home, in our hospice, and in every town and village across Kirklees.”

During what is a turbulent time for the hospice sector, we are relying on support from our local community more than ever. In announcing the changes to our services, we are calling on everyone who believes in the importance of palliative and hospice care to rally behind their cause to help secure The Kirkwood's future.

Michael said: “Palliative and end of life care offers so much more than just a service to our community. The care offered by The Kirkwood is often described as a ‘lifeline’ by patients and families. Our care makes a profound difference to their quality of life, helping them to make the very most of the time they have left, to die with dignity, and to know that those they love will be supported to live on – and live well.

“While we’ve taken significant steps to ensure our financial stability, the future of our charity relies on the continued strength and growth of our movement. By working together and rallying more voices to our cause, we can make sure our care will remain here for those who need it – not just today or tomorrow, but for the future.”

From becoming a regular donor from just £5 per month, offering your valuable time as a volunteer or writing to your local MP to call for greater support for hospices, you can help The Kirkwood to secure its future in lots of ways.

“Every contribution you make, in whatever way you choose, helps to support our future, making a positive impact on the lives of people in your town, village, or street, and helping to provide comfort, compassion, and crucial support during life’s most challenging moments. Please get behind The Kirkwood in any way you can. Together, we can make sure that anyone who needs our help in the future has access to the very best care."

To make a donation or explore the many ways you can help The Kirkwood secure its future, please click here.