The Kirkwood has been working hard to reduce expenditure for a number of years, but huge increases in the price of essential items such as equipment, energy and even food have had a major impact on our finances. With staff costs making up the majority of our £11m annual spending, inflation, an increase in the National Living Wage of around 37% since 2021, and the rise in National Insurance contributions for employers has tipped the balance.
Home Securing Our Future Together: A New Way Forward
Securing Our Future Together: A New Way Forward
The Kirkwood has today (21 May 2025) announced that 19 employees from across the charity have 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 finances. April’s rise in the National Living Wage and National Insurance contributions for employers further deepened these financial pressures.
Only around 25% of our funding comes from the NHS, meaning The Kirkwood relies heavily on the generosity of our local community to fund the majority of our services. While contributions from our amazing supporters have continued to grow each year, the effect of the cost-of-living crisis has meant these efforts have not been enough to keep pace with the charity’s increasing financial needs. Despite ongoing efforts to reduce costs, we have lost around £4 million over the last three years.
The Kirkwood has been lobbying to secure a better balance with its NHS partners, locally, regionally and nationally for a significant period of time, but despite positive conversations with commissioners, they have not yet been able to secure any additional financial support.
Back in January we announced proposals to reduce costs by £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 its almost 40-year history.
In the below article, you will find details of the difficult decisions we've taken to secure our future, including changes to our workforce and our clinical services. You'll also find information about how the many ways you can help us to secure our long-term future.
Workforce Changes
Following the end of both a collective and individual consultation period, we are devastated to share the news that 19 of our employees have left the charity through redundancy, whilst nine employees have agreed to reduce their hours or adjust their roles. During what has been a challenging period for our charity, several of its employees also took the decision to retire or seek opportunities elsewhere, helping to further reduce the hospice’s costs.
Announcing the difficult 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.”
Changes to The Kirkwood’s services
As part of the longer-term changes to our services, we are already making changes, which we estimate will lead to a reduction in the number of patients we can care for from 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.
Reduction of beds in our hospice’s In-Patient Unit: As part of the changes to its services, The Kirkwood has taken the difficult decision to reduce the number of beds in its In-Patient Unit from 16 to 12.
Specialist advice and support in the community: The Kirkwood will continue to provide specialist palliative support at home and in care homes across Kirklees, but will be working within a reduced capacity, meaning its team will need to prioritise those with the most urgent and unmet needs.
Wellbeing and support sessions for patients and carers: A smaller programme of wellbeing and support sessions for patients and carers will operate from this month, 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 and 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:
Our Commitment to patients, families and the Kirklees community
“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.”
Help us to secure the future - we need you more than ever
During what is a turbulent time for the hospice sector, we are more reliant on support from our local community more than ever. We are calling on everyone who believes in the importance of palliative and hospice care to rally behind our cause to help secure our 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.”
Whether you’re already a supporter or you’re looking for meaningful ways to make a difference, here are just a few ways you can help:
Make a regular monthly donation: Your ongoing support, from just a few pounds per month, ensures we can continue to provide unwavering care.
Participate in our fundraising efforts: Take part in events and campaigns that directly support our vital work.
Lend your time and skills as a volunteer: Just a little bit of your time can make a huge difference to patients and families.
Be an advocate for hospice care: Add your voice to our campaign by writing to your local MP and calling for greater support for hospices.
“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.
Your frequently asked questions
Why are The Kirkwood facing such difficult financial challenges?
Is The Kirkwood the only hospice facing these challenges?
Sadly, The Kirkwood are not alone in facing this financial crisis. Across the UK, hospices are grappling with an unprecedented funding shortage that threatens the very services we’ve all fought so hard to build and maintain.
According to Hospice UK, around 20% of hospices have already warned they may need to reduce services or change the way they operate because of the ongoing financial crisis across the sector. The collective funding gap facing Hospices in now over £100 million, putting vital services at risk. Many hospices have or are considering making difficult decisions to ensure they can survive – including reducing the services they offer within their local communities.
This situation underscores the urgent need for increased support for hospices across the country.
Have you asked the NHS for more funding?
Yes. Over the past few months, we have been in discussions with NHS colleagues at both a local and regional level. We have shared the urgent need for additional financial support to help us maintain our services and we continue to work alongside other hospices in West Yorkshire to seek further support.
Despite positive conversations with NHS commissioners, they have not yet been able to offer any additional support.
Why couldn’t you use your reserves to plug any shortfalls in income?
We have taken the difficult decision to use our financial reserves in the past few years to help us cover the gap between our income and expenditure, and these measures have allowed us to continue supporting patients and families. But with losses of around £4 million in the last three years, we can no longer rely on our reserves to cover our annual costs. The situation required us to take immediate action.
Why don’t you use the £100m funding for hospices released by the government to help cover the shortfall in income?
In late 2024, the government announced a £100 million funding package to support Hospices across England over the next two years. Although we are able to apply for a portion of the funding, which will help us to fund a number of important projects, the money is restricted to capital spending such as improving buildings, patient accommodation and equipment and cannot be spent on day to day running costs of the charity such as paying salaries or covering the cost of utility bills.
What actions have you taken to tackle these challenges?
Over the past two years, we have explored a wide range of cost cutting measures and income generation opportunities to help us improve our financial position. These have included:
Making savings: We have implemented a range of cost-saving measures. This includes reviewing all non-essential expenditure, looking for alternative sources of income, and seeking efficiencies in all areas of the charity.
Income generation: We have worked hard to increase income through various avenues, including growing our existing fundraising lines, launching new initiatives, engaging with donors and exploring new partnerships.
Service reviews: We have conducted reviews of all our services to identify areas for improvement and potential efficiencies.
Although we have already taken a number of actions, the financial challenges we face meant we needed to take urgent action to secure the future of The Kirkwood. Despite implementing changes to our workforce and our operating models, we’ll continue to look for opportunities to become more efficient and increase our income in the future.
Have you had to make cuts to your workforce to reduce costs?
As part of the changes we have implemented to put our finances back on a secure footing, we have sadly had to say goodbye to 20 of our colleagues over the past few weeks. The reduction in our workforce has largely been achieved through voluntary redundancies, with only a small percentage of compulsory redundancies necessary. As well as colleagues leaving The Kirkwood, nine employees have agreed to reduced hours or adjusted their role with the charity to help us reduce our expenditure.
In what has been a very challenging time for everyone connected with our charity, we want to put on record our sincere thanks and appreciation for the dedication and tireless efforts of every single one of our colleagues who has left The Kirkwood. Their commitment to putting the needs of those who rely on our care first has been truly humbling.
What changes will you need to make to services?
Following the collective and individual consultation on reducing our services, we have now begun to implement changes to our clinical model of care. Although our services will start to change over the coming weeks and months, we aren’t planning to stop offering any specific services altogether. However, we have been forced to reduce capacity in some areas and prioritise the people we can support based on their specific needs. The main changes to our services are:
- Reduction of beds in our hospice’s In-Patient Unit from 16 to 12.
- Our team of Community Nurses will continue to offer specialist palliative support for patients who are being cared for at home and in care homes, but with a reduced capacity.
- We will deliver a reduced programme of support sessions for patients and carers which will take place at The Kirkwood hospice site in Huddersfield and at the Rosewood Centre in Dewsbury.
How will this affect the care you offer to patients and families?
Despite the changes to our services, we remain committed to providing the very best palliative and end of life care for those in our care, and we will continue to prioritise those in need whose needs can’t be met by patient’s existing healthcare teams in hospital or in the community. Patients, families and healthcare professionals will still be able to get in touch directly if they believe they might benefit from The Kirkwood’s services. We will work with patients and healthcare partners to decide how we might best be involved in their care.
When will these changes take effect?
Following the period of collective and individual consultation, which ended it April 2025, the reduction in our workforce is ongoing. We expect this will be completed by the end of June. Work is already underway to adapt our clinical services, as well as our corporate and support services to ensure we are best equipped to ensure that those in our care continue to receive the very best care. We expect the changes to our services to be fully implemented over the next 12 months.
Does this mean you won’t be able to care for as many people in the future?
In the last financial year, we provided care for over 2,100 patients and their loved ones. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to sustain the full range of services we have offered in the past. We estimate the number of people we are able to support will have to reduce to around 1,200 each year.
Will people still be able to get help if they need it?
Absolutely. Ensuring The Kirkwood’s services are available to those in most need remains our priority. We will continue to offer palliative care here in Kirklees and will use our resources wisely to support patients and families with complex needs that cannot be met in another way. We will work closely with healthcare providers and professionals across Kirklees to minimise the impact to patients and families wherever possible.
Although we will no longer be able to offer care for the same number of patients in the coming years, advice and guidance will continue to be available 24/7 through our Connect with The Kirkwood service and 24/7Advice Line. Anyone who is affected by a life limiting illness can continue to contact us for support on
Will The Kirkwood be forced to close?
No. The Kirkwood will get smaller in the short term but by taking these actions now, there will be no fear of closure. We believe the cost reductions we are implementing will help us come through this challenging period and emerge as a stronger, more sustainable charity.
Alongside these changes, we will continue to rely on the incredible generosity of our community, and fair funding from the government and the NHS, to ensure the future of The Kirkwood.
Do you hope to reintroduce services in the future if your financial position improves?
Our priority right now is to make sure The Kirkwood remains here for those in need, both now and in the future. Whilst we have made the difficult decision to scale back some of the services we have built up over the past decade in response to the ever-growing need for palliative care, we are determined to build back our services at the earliest opportunity.
Once we are confident that the future of our services is secure, we will find new and innovative ways to help more people in need once again.
Are we planning to close any of our shops?
We do not have any plans to close any of our shops as part of these changes. Our shops play an important role in raising funds for The Kirkwood and we will continue to pursue our retail strategy to make sure we maximise the income we can make.
How can we help The Kirkwood at this difficult time?
Whether you’re already supporting us or you’d just like to help make a difference right now, you can make a big difference.
By getting involved, in whatever way you can, you will be helping to ensure that local people will continue to have access to the very best care – not just today, but for future generations. Here are just a few ways you can help:
- Make a regular monthly donation to support our care.
- Support our fundraising efforts by taking part in an event or campaign.
- Become and volunteer and offer your time and skills to make a difference.
- Join our campaign to call for greater support for hospices by writing to your local MP.
Visit our How You Can Help section of our website to find out more about how you can help The Kirkwood to secure our future.
Need clinical advice?
Call our advice line on:
01484 557910
24 hrs a day