Chris Loder, MP for West Dorset, has championed Dorset’s largest independent charity – Weldmar Hospicecare – and has called for greater prioritisation of palliative care in Parliament. Speaking the House of Commons on the 22nd April, Mr Loder emphasised of the need to ‘sustain Weldmar and other provision long into the future’, along with the consideration and support of more end of life care.
The local MP said: “Weldmar and its incredible team are cherished by the people of West Dorset, and I am eternally grateful for all the work they do. Over the past three decades it has looked after 24,882 patients, both in the community and in its specialist in-patient unit in Dorchester. The care is free of charge, and last year alone 1,745 families benefited from Weldmar’s vital care and support.”
He continued: “But, as is the case for many hospices, in order to sustain itself and keep its services running, Weldmar needs to raise £27,200 every single day, on top of its NHS income. I’ve asked the Minister and the Government to give proper consideration to the financial challenges hospices are facing.”
