North London Hospice has this week launched two urgent appeals asking the local community for help to maintain its end of life care services as the coronavirus pandemic deepens.
It desperately needs the public to help meet an enormous shortfall in fundraising caused by the Covid-19 crisis, and has today written to its 6000 supporters asking for financial support during the most challenging time in its 27-year history. Click on the DONATE button below to support us.
The hospice, which each year cares for over 2500 people in Barnet, Enfield & Haringey facing life-limiting illness, is also calling on local businesses to donate PPE – especially surgical masks – to enable its nurses to continue to safely visit the most vulnerable patients at home. Orders have been delayed and our community nursing team has no supply of personal protective equipment to enable them to make home visits to anyone with confirmed or suspected Covid-19.
Lost Revenue
North London Hospice is a charity and receives just 40 per cent of its funding from the NHS, leaving it to fundraise the additional £9 million needed to run the hospice each year.
We are going to lose over £800,000 in the next three months as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has forced us to cancel or postpone all its spring events and temporarily close its 17 shops. The hospice is calling on its community to help stem this drastic loss in funding.
North London Hospice Director of Fundraising Robin Langrishe said: “Our nurses are currently supporting over 800 people facing the end of their lives in the community right now. They are the most vulnerable in society and it’s crucial we continue to support them. We only get one chance to give someone a comfortable peaceful death so we’re asking the public now, more than ever, to support us in whatever way they can.
“These are unprecedented times and many don’t realise that hospice services are not part of the NHS but are funded by charitable giving. £125 funds a nurse for a day whilst £10 provides a heat pad for pain relief. Any donation of any size will be gratefully received.”
Appeal for PPE
North London Hospice Chief Executive Pam McClinton believes that local services such as dentists, beauticians and schools may have stocks of surgical masks, goggles, aprons and gloves they could spare. “Like many healthcare providers we are desperately low on supplies of Personal Protective Equipment. At the moment we are unable to visit patients with confirmed or suspected cases of Covid-19 coronavirus as each home visit requires a complete change of equipment to ensure the safety of our nurses and patients. We are sure there are companies or healthcare providers such as dentists and beauticians who are perhaps temporarily closed but have stocks of masks, aprons or gloves. I urge them to please donate them to their local hospice so we can continue to safely visit and support the most vulnerable in our community.”
To make a donation please click here visit www.northlondonhospice.org/donate or to donate supplies of PPE please contact 020 8343 6835.