Ashgate Hospice: Almost 2,000 sign petition to save nurses at Chesterfield hospice – as campaign calls for ‘full and fair investigation’

Save the Ashgate Nurses petition has gained over 1,900 signatures since its launch on Thursday, November 20 – with nurses calling for a ‘full and fair investigation’ into the financial situation of the Chesterfield hospice.

The petition comes after Ashgate announced it would be forced to slash the number of specialist beds due to financial difficulties, proposing redundancies affecting a number of inpatient unit nurses.

In an online statement issued today (Monday, November 24), the nurses behind the campaign, said: “Every single nurse and nursing support workers involved in this campaign loves the work we do, and all we want is to be able to continue to do it.

“We don't come to work for the pay or because we have to, we work at Ashgate Hospice because we love our patients and our community.

“Ashgate Senior Leadership has continued to undermine and undervalue the majority of the nursing team, making us pay the price for their financial decisions.

“We have again called on Ashgate Senior Leadership today to pause all redundancies until a full and fair investigation is undertaken.”

The nurses added: “Ashgate Hospice holds a special place in so many people's hearts and we cannot bear to see others' family members lose the opportunity to spend their last days here.

This is why it is crucial for us to continue to fight back against these unnecessary cuts to the nursing team - we love our jobs, our patients & our community.

“Keep sharing & showing Ashgate Senior Leadership that we won't take this devastating decision lightly!”

Nurses called for action from the Ashgate Senior Leadership – urging the hospice to allow the Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) to complete a full commissioned review into Ashgate's financial management, to stop all cuts to the nursing team, stop refusing to allow the Royal College of Nursing to collectively represent the nurses and called for ‘meaningful consultations’ with staff over ways to reduce costs.

NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board has confirmed that they had made an offer to carry out a full financial review to Ashgate Hospice – but their proposal was rejected.

Ashgate Hospice, which has faced financial difficulties over a number of months, currently operates 15 of its 21 available inpatient beds, with six already closed due to insufficient funding.

Jack Wood, director of income generation at Ashgate said this was ‘one of the hardest situations the hospice has ever faced’ and described the fight to keep beds open as ‘heartbreaking’.

In October Ashgate announced that up to 52 jobs were at risk of redundancy, but this number has now been reduced to 34 – nine of which are nursing roles.

Earlier this month, the hospice launched an urgent appeal to the public in a bid to raise £244,000 to save two specialist beds earmarked for closure.

Saving two of the nine beds would allow around 25 more patients and their families to receive care at Ashgate’s Inpatient Unit, giving them comfort, dignity, and support at the end of life.

You can donate to the Save a Precious Bed at www.ashgatehospice.org.uk/precious-bed and help keep beds open for patients and the people important to them at the most desperate time in their lives.

In a comment issued on Friday, November 21, a spokesperson for Ashgate Hospice said: “Sadly, the consultation process at Ashgate Hospice has not paused. The only way the process could be paused is if local NHS commissioners agreed a long-term funding arrangement. As this has not happened, the process is continuing.

“Based on feedback from group sessions, individual conversations, written suggestions and voluntary redundancy applications, several parts of the proposal have changed. Some areas remain largely the same; others have been adapted to reduce compulsory redundancies, protect core services or create space to explore new ways of working. 

“Thanks to staff suggestions and voluntary redundancy applications, the number of roles at risk has reduced from the original estimate of 52 to 34 – nine of which are nursing roles. This reduction is not because staff have been offered six-month contracts, which are not included in this figure.

“We hope that the ongoing Save a Precious Bed Appeal will allow us to offer six-month or longer contracts, reflecting the generosity of our community and the vital support it provides to our hospice.

“A small number of consultation meetings have been postponed this week to allow time to review the scoring matrix and ensure it accurately reflects training records and individual contributions. This is to provide staff at risk with as much clarity and assurance as possible. Postponed meetings will be re-scheduled next week, and staff have been informed in writing.

“We understand this is a difficult and upsetting time for our staff, and we remain committed to supporting them through this process while continuing to provide safe, high-quality care to the people who rely on us.”

Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins, who met with the Ashgate nurses earlier this month, said: “It was extremely upsetting and concerning to meet nurses – most with years of service to the Hospice who are now faced with the threat of redundancy.

"They were shocked at the announcement as there had been no warning or indication from their perspective of the financial pressures.

“They had many questions - about decisions taken at the Hospice, the processes being followed, the role of representative bodies, local funding allocations and the implications of cuts on patients and on NHS winter pressures elsewhere.

“I spoke to the Hospice again following that to put these questions to them and to agree the steps I can take with the ongoing campaign to get a greater allocation of funding for the North of the County.

“We also discussed the balance between reducing services for a fewer number of the most vulnerable patients and a wider number of patients who use day services.

“I have also continued to press in parliament for a more generous settlement for hospices following last year's big rise and am in communication ahead of the budget in the hope that we might see a further funding uplift agreed.

“I will also continue to push for better communication with staff through this difficult period.

“Finally, I'd like to thank all those who have stepped forward to raise more for the hospice since this news broke and encourage people who can, to support the plans to keep more beds open.”