A Yorkshire-based hospice charity has cut 19 jobs in the hope of reducing its annual costs by £1.7m as it faces what it has previously described as “the worst financial crisis” in its almost 40-year history.
The Kirkwood, which provides palliative and end-of-life care for people living in and around Kirklees, West Yorkshire, said that an additional nine employees had agreed to reduce their hours or adjust their roles to enable the hospice to save money.
The hospice opened its redundancy consultation in February. The initial plans placed 33 roles at risk of redundancy. At the time, the Kirkwood said it was facing the “worst financial crisis” in its history, citing a “perfect storm” of an increasing demand for hospice services versus rises in the prices of essential equipment, energy and food.
The Kirkwood, which employs 254 staff, said that the redundancies would be made from “across the charity.” It added that several of its employees had decided to retire or “seek opportunities elsewhere”.
Charity recorded deficit for two years
According to its most recently filed accounts, the charity’s total annual income stood at £9.4m while its expenditure was £10.7m for the financial year ending March 2024.
The charity was also running a deficit in the previous year.
It noted that prior to the decision on redundancies, it had been lobbying to secure a better balance of funding with its NHS partners, locally, regionally and nationally. However, despite “positive conversations with commissioners”, it said that it had been unable to get any additional financial support.
Michael Crowther, the hospice’s chief executive, said the last few years had been “one of the most difficult periods” in its history.
Crowther added: “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.”
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