THE CHIEF executive of a hospice in Basingstoke is calling for funding for the vital facilities to be addressed after it revealed that it earns more money from its charity shops than the government.

Iain Cameron, who is the chief executive of St Michael's Hospice, is calling for the government to commit to sustainable funding for hospices across the UK.

The Gazette spoke to Mr Cameron after the hospice, in Aldermaston Road, warned that it is at risk of closure despite receiving £86k from the government as the money can only be used for capital expenditure.

READ MORE: 'Our future remains uncertain': Hospice warns that £86k funding won't prevent closure

He explained that the hospice is 'grateful for any funding' that it receives, but added that: "We can't actually use that money for our running costs."

Instead, the facility is required to use the money for capital projects like improving the gardens, and IT systems or purchasing new furniture. 

St Michael's Hospice says it will use the £86k grant to offset costs for solar panels installed on the facility in April 2024 as the money 'has to be spent by March 31'.

"The money doesn't address the fundamental issue of sustainable funding and because of that you are going to have a problem where hospices across the country with new bedrooms or bathrooms will close and that just doesn't make sense to me," added the chief executive.

One of the hospices at risk of closure is the Basingstoke facility, as Mr Cameron has warned that a rise in National Insurance for employers and the minimum living wage will hit the facility hard.

He explained that the hospice worked to reduce costs 'as much as possible' in 2024, including letting go of some non-clinical staff, but that the savings of around £200k will 'all be wiped out with one increase'.

As well as the rises from the government, wages for NHS staff will also increase by 2.8 per cent in 2025 after a previous 5.5 per cent pay rise in 2024. 

Mr Cameron says that the hospice can not afford to keep up with NHS pay, adding: "Our staff are doing the same work as their NHS counterparts but are being paid much less and that's just not right."

SEE ALSO: 'St Michael's Hospice in Basingstoke desperately needs more money to deliver service'

The funding for St Michael's Hospice is largely raised by the community, with just 15 per cent of the facility's costs covered by the government.

"We get more money from selling second-hand clothing in charity shops than the government.

"This community provides £5m worth of funding every year to ensure that people at the end of their lives can have a basic human right, and that’s completely wrong," he added.

He explained that just £1m of funding each year would make a huge difference in securing the future of the hospice, concluding: "All we want is for a sustainable funding model to ensure we can provide end-of-life care."