By Hospice service overwhelmed by PPE donation surge
Staff at St Barnabas Hospice in Lincoln, which provides palliative and end-of-life services to adults living with a life-limiting or terminal illness, say they are overwhelmed by the surge in PPE donations.
Previously, St Barnabas and other similar service providers had raised the alarm that its stocks of PPE were running low and asked anyone who had spares to donate them.
Donations have come from various sources including local companies who have the ability to make masks, and school science departments.
Stock has also started arriving from its usual suppliers too and it now has good levels to help keep staff and residents safe, it said.
The shortage of PPE in care homes and across NHS hospitals and GP practices has been one of the primary criticisms made against the UK Government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.
Local businesses and individuals across the county, including ‘Gowns for Heroes’ in Grimsby have come together and fought to secure PPE for Lincolnshire’s emergency workers.
Although many hospices are privately owned, they are primarily donation led and are experiencing dramatic losses in their fundraising incomes. A spokesperson for St Barnabas Hospice said:
“We have seen a huge drop in the fundraising income, that pays for most of our work. Our shops are temporarily closed for business and fundraising activities and events have been cancelled for the foreseeable future – and we rely on the money these would have raised to pay for our essential care services.
We estimate a loss of £1,000,000 due to the catastrophic effects of the Coronavirus. We are asking you to support our goals and outstandingly rated care services by giving what you can.”
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