Desperate plea for PPE by charity which runs Peterborough’s Thorpe Hall Hospice

The charity, which runs the Thorpe Hall has put out an emergency plea for both funding and personal protective equipment (PPE).

The hospices provide palliative care to terminally ill patients, as well as helping families of those patients.

Jane said: “The situation is desperate. We are really struggling to get a supply of PPE. We will run out within a matter of days.

“We are trying multiple suppliers, but are not succeeding.

“It is literally everything - masks are a real problem, but it really is everything.

“The situation is really causing heightened anxiety for everyone. We don’t want to put any of our doctors and nursed in that position.

“We have been told we have access to an emergency line to the NHS, but that is only enough for a day or two.
“We have been asking the Government and MPs, so we can protect everyone.

“If we run out, we won’t be able to accept new patients. We never want to be in that position, but we have to protect our staff.”

Earlier this month the charity put out a funding appeal to keep the service afloat. Before the coronavirus struck, statutory funding only covered approximately one third of the costs involved in running the charity’s end of life care. Sue Ryder bridged that gap with fundraising efforts and income from its 450 shops nationwide. With fundraising events now cancelled and its shops closed, the charity has a matter of months before it will have to close its hospices and hospice at home services across the country. Sue Ryder will have a funding gap of £12 million over the next three months.

Jane said: “We have received some great help and support since the appeal, but it will only last for a finite period of time.

“We are seeing the best of society with the help we are getting, but we really need people to keep donating.

“It has been very difficult for our staff. We are trying wherever possible to restrict visit, except in exceptional circumstances. Patients can still have contact through phone and video calls, but it is difficult. It is difficult for staff too, as part o our over arching care is for families of patients.”

Anyone who can help Sue Ryder is asked to visit https://www.sueryder.org/donate