A hospice group has announced changes to its care services prompted by ongoing financial pressures.
Southern Hospice Group, which runs St Barnabas House in Worthing, Martlets in Hove, and Chestnut Tree House near Arundel, has confirmed that all three services will be affected from March 30.
The announcement follows a consultation that was launched last month.
St Barnabas House will stop offering routine domiciliary care and its Living Well services, including group sessions and activities.
Alternative providers have been sourced for those receiving overnight visiting services alongside domiciliary care.
Some volunteer-led schemes, such as Community Companions, will also end, with the hospice now focusing primarily on patients with complex palliative care needs.
The Hospice at Home service will continue to provide specialist palliative and end-of-life care.
St Barnabas House in Worthing will stop offering a number of services (Image: Google)
At Martlets, wellbeing services, including group sessions and activities, will also end, along with some volunteer-led services including Compassionate Neighbours.
Chestnut Tree House will no longer provide routine community respite care for children and young people, instead moving to only provide in-house respite support.
The hospice group offers free services but only receives 14 per cent of funding from its NHS grant, so is largely dependent on donations.
In a statement last month, the group said that it was operating at a deficit of £3.7 million, which had been compounded by increased demand and rising costs.
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Affected patients are being directly written to, in order to explain any changes to their care and help arrange alternative support where needed.
The group has reserve funds to enable it to continue operations and hopes that by cutting the deficit now it can secure its long-term future.
More information about the changes is available on the Southern Hospice Group website.
